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It is wonderful, the power of a faith like that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I do not know which it is. No matter what the impulse is, the act born of it is beyond imagination marvelous to our kind of people, the cold whites.

Mark Twain#133

Human natureBeliefHumanityMotivationFaithEndurance

About this quote

What does it mean?
Twain marvels at how faith drives people to endure hardship, though he is unsure if love or fear motivates them.
In plain terms
Faith makes people do hard things without complaint, driven by love or fear.
What can you take from it?
Faith drives action regardless of the underlying motive.

Where it applies

  • religious movements
  • social crusades
  • personal devotion

Putting it to work

  • study historical movements
  • analyze motivation
  • reflect on belief

Questions to consider

  • What drives your difficult choices?
  • Is fear a valid motivator?

Another view

The quote implies a racial distinction that may reflect the biases of his time.

More from Mark Twain

  1. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India.

    Permalink to quote #132
  2. Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing.

    Permalink to quote #134
  3. Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are events of the same si…

    Permalink to quote #131

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