Many people have misquoted Mark Twain and attributed his saying to the phrase “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled”. This misattributed quote has become so pervasive because of its seeming aptness in describing the human condition. In actuality, however, Mark Twain never said or wrote these words; he did, however, have much to say about being fooled.
Throughout his work, Twain expresses cynicism about the human race’s willingness and even propensity to be deceived. In his speech “On the Decay of the Art of Lying” to The Sunday Angels in Montreal in 1901, Twain used humor to illustrate the truth of how easy it is to deceive people. He said, “The trouble is that the world is filled with a number of people who cannot understand the jokes of wise men. There is no Closed Season on the Lie. It prospers all the year round.”
Twain also spoke extensively on the way institutions – not only people – may be fooled. He believed that certain groups, such as religious institutions, used their power to deceive and manipulate people. He further argued that religious organizations were a major force in the spread of fake news. In his essay “Journalism in Tennessee,” Twain satirically described the culture of fake news in the southern United States. He wrote, “Many newspapers have become vast engines of mis-information and special pleading. They serve to spread lies and superstitions and add to the existing chaos of credulity and unreason.”
Although Mark Twain never said “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled,” he did know that people were all too willing to believe the lies of others. He recognized the allure of being fooled, and the power that some people and organizations can exert when they provide what they say is truth.
Fool Fairness
For Mark Twain, conceptualizing why people may be fooled was more complex than this simple quote implies. People may be fooled and taken advantage of not just because they are naive but because they are also trusting. Refusing to believe that people can manipulate others through lies can be a defense mechanism. People might find it comforting to tell themselves, and each other, that people are kind-hearted and never cunning.
And yet, Twain reinforced that one’s trust in others has to be earned with hard evidence. In the short story “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg,” Twain suggested that morality and virtue consist of weighing the good traits and bad in every person, rather than assuming innocence or culpability. For example, Twain wrote, “Our mean little thing did not appear to mind the justice meted out to her, she only said ‘I knew it–I knew it,'” a line which suggests she was not entirely surprised of the outcome – and thus had been aware that she may have been susceptible to being fooled by others.
Vulnerabilities
Regardless of one’s moral character, being fooled can still happen – regardless of class or status. Twain seemed to be aware of this when he warned against the power of wealth against wisdom in “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg.” Towards the end of the tale, the narrator, who had been speaking in a very Foucauldian way before, says: “It is better to be humble and wise than to be foolish and proud.” By making this comment, Twain reinforced the idea that anyone, regardless of their ranking in society, can still be vulnerable to what they are told and/or choose to believe.
Moreover, Twain was highly critical of those who possess power who seek to use it to manipulate others. In his essay “The Turning Point of My Life,” Twain wrote,“It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.” By this statement, Twain implies that those who are in the majority, who possess power, may benefit from deceiving others.
At the same time, Twain saw being fooled as part of the human condition. Breaching or overestimating innocent trust can lead to wise lessons; as he wrote in “The Turning Point of My Life,” “Every man is a moon, and has a dark side which he turns toward nobody – careful to show nothing but his bright one.” Twain reinforced the idea that we all are vulnerable when it comes to trust, yet it is those rare moments when we can challenge those who seek to deceive us.
Upholding Honesty
Twain also believed that we must work towards respecting the truth. Throughout his work, he illustrated how fake news could spread if not challenged by credible sources. He further suggested that while not everyone should be trusted, directly confronting people who seek to deceive can ultimately lead to a more honest and equitable society.
For example, in the 1907 essay “The Dread Talent of the Novelist,” Twain wrote that “the line between truth and fiction, is so fine that we are straddling it all the time.” He also added that one must be conscientious when it comes to sharing information. Twain wrote, “Nothing worse can happen to a man [or woman] who attends to and likes to tell the truth, than to have people inquire each time he opens his mouth, ‘What do you mean by that? Is that imaginary or did you really see it?’”
In many of his works, Twain tackled the topics of lies and deception, and did so in a humorous way. He was an advocate for honesty, and his writing frequently referred to the notion that people should not take authority at face value. He may not have said, “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled,” but he did talk about how people can be fooled and how to guard against it.
Reality Check
Twain was a realist – while people may be vulnerable to being taken advantage of, he also wrote that some people thrive on lies. His works often discussed how those in power are more apt to intentionally mislead others by manipulating the truth, and how it is the people’s responsibility to ensure that the truth is being told. He warned against the marketing of fake news, pointing to how it can lead to misguided perspectives. Twain believed honest, constructive criticism was necessary for any society to be successful.
The challenge, from Twain’s perspective, was in separating fact from fiction. He argued that one must question their sources, their motivations, and their biases before accepting what they hear or read as truth. He wrote in “The Turning Point of My Life,” “The glamor of impossible romance has been a drug for my spirit for long.” Twain’s acknowledgement that being fooled is part of human nature encourages us to think twice before believing what we are told, even if it comes from a celebrity or a person we know.
Moral Value
Twain wrote that it was important to recognize when someone is being deceived. He reflected that it is not necessarily being fooled that can make us wiser, but being mindful of when it is happening. In turn, Twain seemed to suggest that one should strive to be as honest in their personal life and in their public life. As Twain wrote, “My mother dressed me as an angel, but she was never able to teach me how to fly.” Twain’s understanding of how deception and manipulation comes into play in life, and his lesson to be wary of sources, seems to be a gentle reminder to us all.
Mark Twain’s insight into the human tendency to be misled has remained relevant throughout the years, and his words continue to inspire us to think twice before believing what we are told. He never said, “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled,” but his exploration of the fragile trust between two people, and the power structure between them, resonates with us even today.
Analyzing Rationality
Through his stories and essays, Twain argues that we should value passing on accurate knowledge and pushing back against the prevalence of falsehoods and deceptions. Twain often portrayed people as irrational when it came to trusting in other people or institutions. For example, in “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg,” Twain satirizes the townspeople, particularly the characters of Edward and Mary Richards, for believing so easily in a folktale involving miraculous wealth.
On the other hand, Twain showed us the power of self-reflection. In his essay “The Turning Point of My Life,” Twain wrote “If this world were a logical place, men would ride side-saddle.” By this statement, Twain implied how a rational analysis of one’s behavior is more important than any external truth. This idea has so far been true but Twain reminds us that it is important to examine our own behavior – if not, it is too easy to get taken advantage of by those around us.
Mark Twain may not have said “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled,” but he had much to say about the delicate balance between perspective, trust, and deception. Twain’s work reminded us that we should be cautious about what we believe, and demand proof before accepting something as truth. He warned us not to be overly trusting and advised us to be on guard for those who seek to deceive us. Truth, he argued, must be earned – not assumed, and we must look beyond appearances to see what is real.
Comparing Truths
Twain understood that the truth can be uncomfortable, and that it can be easy to ignore it when it is not convenient. Fake news and epistemology were two of his primary issues. When addressing these topics, Twain often focused on how similar falsity and truth can be.
In his essay “Aspects of Fiction,” Twain spoke of the similarities between truth and fiction, saying “Truth is stranger than fiction; not that the truth is always improbable, but that common fictions are and always have been quite incredible.” Here, Twain suggested that we cannot always differentiate between what is real or what is imagined. He advised us to remain skeptical and question situations that do not make sense.
Also, in “The Turning Point of My Life,” Twain suggested that one must be especially careful when determining what is true, saying “You must take whatever chance you can get, when co-operating with another person in the furtherance of a baseless fiction.” He valued open questioning, and hinted that it was important for individuals to realize when something untrue was being presented to them.
Inventing Morality
Twain addressed the idea of morality throughout his work, making the point that morality is not imposed by a higher power – it is the state of mind we invent ourselves. In “The Turning Point of My Life,” Twain argued that people must make their own moral decisions, saying “But I shall never forget how my moral nature was strengthened by the stern thought that maybe I could make it right.” Twain also wrote that he was reminded of the implications of unchecked lies when he said, “I shall never forgive myself for forgetting, even for a moment, what honestly and honorably should have been done.”
Twain continually claimed that morality is something we must possess both inwardly and outwardly. In his essay “The Turning Point of My Life,” Twain wrote that “It is a curious thought, that day by day what we regard as history is only a record of our own insignificance.” By this comment, Twain reminded us that our actions, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can affect others and suggest that we exercise our own moral compass when it comes to evaluating which truths we should accept.
