Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
But who prays for Satan? Who in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most, our one fellow and brother who most needed a friend yet had not a single one, the one sinner among us all who had the highest and clearest right to every Christian's daily and nightly prayers, for the plain and unassailable reason that his was the first and greatest need, he being among sinners the supremest?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote questions the lack of compassion extended to even the most vilified figures, suggesting that everyone deserves a chance for redemption.
In this poignant reflection, Mark Twain highlights the irony of humanity's tendency to cast judgment on others, particularly on those deemed irredeemable, like Satan. He suggests that compassion should extend even to those who are fundamentally viewed as evil, emphasizing that true humanity lies in recognizing the inherent need for empathy, understanding, and connection, even for the sinner who has been abandoned by all.
Themes
CompassionEmpathyForgivenessHumanitySinner
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on forgiveness, this quote could be used to illustrate the importance of compassion for all individuals.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes →The easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
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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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