“I never smoke to excess – that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time.”
- 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
Quote
“I never smoke to excess – that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time.”
Explanation
Mark Twain’s quote humorously plays on the concept of moderation by twisting the idea to suit his own ironic definition of it. He acknowledges smoking as a habit but claims to engage in it moderately—by only smoking “one cigar at a time,” which, of course, is a given and does not really address the issue of excess. The humor here lies in Twain’s playful subversion of logic—he uses the word “moderation” to disguise the fact that he is still indulging in the habit, but merely doing so in a way that is technically reasonable. The quote pokes fun at how people sometimes deceive themselves into thinking they are practicing moderation, even when their actions remain the same.
Twain often used humor to comment on the contradictions and human tendencies that shape behavior, and in this case, he is making a point about how we can rationalize or justify our indulgences. While “moderation” suggests restraint, Twain’s playful definition implies that he doesn’t view smoking as a problem because he sticks to his own self-created rules, even though the behavior itself is not truly moderated. The irony here is that the essence of moderation—limiting excess—is lost because Twain is simply reinterpreting the concept in a way that allows him to continue doing what he enjoys.
In today’s world, this quote resonates with the way people often rationalize their own behaviors, whether it’s smoking, eating, or other habits. We may convince ourselves we’re acting in moderation by setting arbitrary limits or rules, but those limits don’t always address the true nature of the behavior. Twain’s quote reminds us that self-deception is a common way to avoid dealing with excess, and it encourages us to rethink what true moderation really means in our own lives.
