I haven't a particle of confidence in a man who has no redeeming petty vices.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Twain suggests that people without any small flaws might be untrustworthy or lacking in humanity.
- In plain terms
- A person with no small vices seems suspicious to him.
- What can you take from it?
- Accept that everyone has minor flaws and imperfections.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do you trust people who seem perfect?
Another view
Some genuinely virtuous people may lack petty vices.
More from Mark Twain
I don't see no p'ints about that frog that's any better'n any other frog.
Permalink to quote #6 Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run.
Permalink to quote #8 I'll risk forty dollars that he can outjump any frog in Calaveras county.
Permalink to quote #5
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