“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
Sage-like words from late American writer Mark Twain, in which he relays his mistrust of the mainstream. In particular, opining his cynicism toward the validity of the masses’ thoughts, along with the folly of following what they advocate.
Profound words, indicating he wasn’t impressed by the intellectual capacity, and subsequent decision making of the majority. A snipe, indicating he would rather be outcast than conform to the ill thought out mantras of the massed proletariat.
Although no longer with us, if he decided to get in touch via medium Elsie Trubshaw (other mediums are available), Twain may back up the validity of his literary epiphanies. Arguing his words of wisdom are still quoted over 100 years after his death. Something that the majority at that time cannot boast of replicating.
Elsie is allegedly Mark Twain’s ‘go to’ medium, after the pair grew close after allegedly meeting him on Tinder for the after-life.
Despite his picture being over 100 years old, widow Ms Trubshaw became attracted to Twain by his intellect, razor sharp wit and forensically accurate impersonation of late TV presenter Terry Wogan.
I’m by no stretch of the imagination an expert on Mark Twain, the man and his literature. I know his real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, he was born in the village of Florida, Missouri and never appeared in TV’s The Phil Silver Show……… Or, as he died in 1910, any TV show.
Reading a selection of his quotes, as alluded to earlier, it’s clear there were times when he had little time for the human race. On one occasion informing his readers “The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.”
As mentioned earlier, I have many knowledge voids about the author who appears to have found it hard to warm to individuals, possibly some that lauded him. However, I’m familiar with a few of his books, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Elsie Trubshaw’s Life on Tinder.
As proved earlier, I’m also acquainted with some of the writer’s more famous quotes. I suppose one of his most well known of them perfectly sums up this narrative:- “Get your facts first, then distort them as you please.”
Additionally, Twain also once proffered, “If you don’t read newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read them, you are misinformed.”
Bearing in mind the several fictional parts of this monologue, that observation could now be adapted to “If you don’t read Gary Strachan’s blogs you are uninformed. If you do read them, you are misinformed.”
Although it cuts down on the amount of research required, writing imaginary prose does have it’s drawbacks. A fact born out in Twain’s assertion that “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
I suspect Twain was targeting verbal untruths, rather than fictional writers with the above observation. However, there remains an element of truth in it for the creative author, ie you have to remember what your imagination has dreamt up for later reference in your work.
I’ll leave you with one more saying from the erudite late writer. I think its a pretty apt, although somewhat late, way of me concluding this narrative:-
“It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it and remove all doubt.”
