Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
Customs do not concern themselves with right or wrong or reason. But they have to be obeyed; one reasons all around them until he is tired, but he must not transgress them, it is sternly forbidden.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Traditions and customs must be followed regardless of their justification or reasonableness.
This quote by Mark Twain highlights the nature of customs, suggesting that they exist independently of moral reasoning or logical justification. Individuals may grapple with the irrationality of these customs but are ultimately bound to adhere to them, indicating the rigidity of societal norms even in the face of personal reasoning.
Themes
CustomsTraditionSocietyNormsReasoning
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of cultural heritage, one might say, 'As Mark Twain noted, customs do not concern themselves with right or wrong.'
More from Mark Twain
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You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
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To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
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Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
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In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
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