“Prophesy is a good line of business, but it is full of risks.”
- November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910
- American
- Author, humorist, and lecturer
- Wrote masterpieces such as “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” and had a major influence on American literature
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Quote
“Prophesy is a good line of business, but it is full of risks.”
Explanation
Mark Twain’s quote humorously acknowledges the uncertainty and danger of making predictions about the future. While prophesy—whether in the form of fortune telling, predictions, or even political forecasting—can be seen as an enticing and potentially profitable endeavor, Twain warns that it comes with great risk. The humor lies in the irony that, while people who claim to predict the future may seem confident, they are ultimately unaware of what the future holds, which makes their profession inherently uncertain. Twain’s remark critiques the hubris of those who believe they can predict what will happen with any degree of certainty, as the future is often unpredictable and subject to unforeseen events.
Twain’s insight also touches on the fallibility of human knowledge and the illusion of control. Although many people throughout history have attempted to foresee the future—whether through prophecy, science, or speculation—the future remains largely unknowable and full of surprises. This makes the role of a prophet, or anyone making future predictions, inherently risky because the outcome is outside of anyone’s control. It’s an ironic observation about the limits of human foresight and the danger of claiming to know the unpredictable.
In modern contexts, this quote is especially relevant when discussing areas like political predictions, economic forecasts, or even technological advances, where people often make confident claims about what will happen but can be proven wrong by events. Twain’s words remind us to take predictions with a grain of salt and to recognize that the future is full of uncertainty, no matter how much we try to control or predict it. His humor invites us to approach prophecy with skepticism, understanding that, while it can be an alluring profession, it comes with the risk of being wrong.
