“There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.”
- 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
“There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.”
Explanation
Mark Twain’s quote humorously distinguishes between two types of people: those who actually accomplish their goals and those who merely claim to have done so. The distinction emphasizes that real accomplishment requires effort, action, and results, while many individuals prefer to take credit for success without putting in the work. Twain’s statement that the first group—the true doers—is “less crowded” suggests that genuine achievement is rare, while there is a surplus of people who boast about their achievements without actually doing the work. The humor lies in the irony that those who claim success often outnumber those who earn it, even though true accomplishment is what should be most valued.
Twain’s observation reflects his skepticism toward the self-promotional tendencies of human nature. He frequently used satire to comment on the vanity and hypocrisy he saw in society, particularly in the realm of social status and achievement. His quote underscores the human tendency to boast or exaggerate one’s successes in order to gain respect, while often neglecting the harder, less glamorous work that leads to true accomplishment. Twain’s remark implies that authenticity in achievement is less common, but more valuable, than the inflated claims made by those who seek recognition without substance.
In the modern world, this quote resonates in a time when social media, personal branding, and public relations allow people to claim accomplishments with little more than a carefully curated image or self-promotion. The quote serves as a reminder to value actions over words, and to question the credibility of those who may be more focused on talking about their successes than on actually achieving something meaningful. Twain’s humor encourages us to seek out those who do the work rather than those who simply boast about it, and to recognize that the path to real accomplishment is often less traveled but far more rewarding.
