Advice to Youth

Advice to Youth
AdvicetoYouth

byMarkTwain(1835-1910)

BeingtoldIwouldbeexpectedtotalkhere,IinquiredwhatsortoftalkIoughttomake.Theysaiditshouldbesomethingsuitabletoyouth,somethingdidactic,instructive,orsomethinginthenatureofgoodadvice.Verywell.IhaveafewthingsinmymindwhichIhaveoftenlongedtosayfortheinstructionoftheyoung;foritisinone’stenderearlyyearsthatsuchthingswillbesttakerootandbemostenduringandmostvaluable.First,then.Iwillsaytoyoumyyoungfriends–andIsayitbeseechingly,urgingly–

Alwaysobeyyourparents,whentheyarepresent.Thisisthebestpolicyinthelongrun,becauseifyoudon’t,theywillmakeyou.Mostparentsthinktheyknowbetterthanyoudo,andyoucangenerallymakemorebyhumoringthatsuperstitionthanyoucanbyactingonyourownbetterjudgment.

Berespectfultoyoursuperiors,ifyouhaveany,alsotostrangers,andsometimestoothers.Ifapersonoffendyou,andyouareindoubtastowhetheritwasintentionalornot,donotresorttoextrememeasures;simplywatchyourchanceandhithimwithabrick.Thatwillbesufficient.Ifyoushallfindthathehadnotintendedanyoffense,comeoutfranklyandconfessyourselfinthewrongwhenyoustruckhim;acknowledgeitlikeamanandsayyoudidn’tmeanto.Yes,alwaysavoidviolence;inthisageofcharityandkindliness,thetimehasgonebyforsuchthings.Leavedynamitetothelowandunrefined.

Gotobedearly,getupearly–thisiswise.Someauthoritiessaygetupwiththesun;somesaygetupwithonething,otherswithanother.Butalarkisreallythebestthingtogetupwith.Itgivesyouasplendidreputationwitheverybodytoknowthatyougetupwiththelark;andifyougettherightkindoflark,andworkathimright,youcaneasilytrainhimtogetupathalfpastnine,everytime–it’snotrickatall.

Nowastothematteroflying.Youwanttobeverycarefulaboutlying;otherwiseyouarenearlysuretogetcaught.Oncecaught,youcanneveragainbeintheeyestothegoodandthepure,whatyouwerebefore.Manyayoungpersonhasinjuredhimselfpermanentlythroughasingleclumsyandillfinishedlie,theresultofcarelessnessbornofincompletetraining.Someauthoritiesholdthattheyoungoughtnottolieatall.Thatofcourse,isputtingitratherstrongerthannecessary;stillwhileIcannotgoquitesofarasthat,Idomaintain,andIbelieveIamright,thattheyoungoughttobetemperateintheuseofthisgreatartuntilpracticeandexperienceshallgivethemthatconfidence,elegance,andprecisionwhichalonecanmaketheaccomplishmentgracefulandprofitable.Patience,diligence,painstakingattentiontodetail–thesearerequirements;theseintime,willmakethestudentperfect;upontheseonly,mayherelyasthesurefoundationforfutureeminence.Thinkwhattediousyearsofstudy,thought,practice,experience,wenttotheequipmentofthatpeerlessoldmasterwhowasabletoimposeuponthewholeworldtheloftyandsoundingmaximthat“Truthismightyandwillprevail”–themostmajesticcompoundfractureoffactwhichanyofwomanbornhasyetachieved.Forthehistoryofourrace,andeachindividual’sexperience,aresewnthickwithevidencesthatatruthisnothardtokill,andthataliewelltoldisimmortal.ThereisinBostonamonumentofthemanwhodiscoveredanesthesia;manypeopleareaware,intheselatterdays,thatthatmandidn’tdiscoveritatall,butstolethediscoveryfromanotherman.Isthistruthmighty,andwillitprevail?Ahno,myhearers,themonumentismadeofhardymaterial,butthelieittellswilloutlastitamillionyears.Anawkward,feeble,leakylieisathingwhichyououghttomakeityourunceasingstudytoavoid;suchalieasthathasnomorerealpermanencethananaveragetruth.Why,youmightaswelltellthetruthatonceandbedonewithit.Afeeble,stupid,preposterousliewillnotlivetwoyears-exceptitbeaslanderuponsomebody.Itisindestructible,thenofcourse,butthatisnomeritofyours.Afinalword:beginyourpracticeofthisgraciousandbeautifulartearly–beginnow.IfIhadbegunearlier,Icouldhavelearnedhow.

Neverhandlefirearmscarelessly.Thesorrowandsufferingthathavebeencausedthroughtheinnocentbutheedlesshandlingoffirearmsbytheyoung!Onlyfourdaysago,rightinthenextfarmhousetotheonewhereIamspendingthesummer,agrandmother,oldandgrayandsweet,oneoftheloveliestspiritsintheland,wassittingatherwork,whenheryounggrandsoncreptinandgotdownanold,battered,rustygunwhichhadnotbeentouchedformanyyearsandwassupposednottobeloaded,andpointeditather,laughingandthreateningtoshoot.Inherfrightsheranscreamingandpleadingtowardthedoorontheothersideoftheroom;butasshepassedhimheplacedthegunalmostagainstherverybreastandpulledthetrigger!Hehadsupposeditwasnotloaded.Andhewasright–itwasn’t.Sotherewasn’tanyharmdone.ItistheonlycaseofthatkindIeverheardof.Therefore,justthesame,don’tyoumeddlewitholdunloadedfirearms;theyarethemostdeadlyandunerringthingsthathaveeverbeencreatedbyman.Youdon’thavetotakeanypainsatallwiththem;youdon’thavetohavearest,youdon’thavetohaveanysightsonthegun,youdon’thavetotakeaim,even.No,youjustpickoutarelativeandbangaway,andyouaresuretogethim.Ayouthwhocan’thitacathedralatthirtyyardswithaGatlingguninthreequartersofanhour,cantakeupanoldemptymusketandbaghisgrandmothereverytime,atahundred.ThinkwhatWaterloowouldhavebeenifoneofthearmieshadbeenboysarmedwitholdmusketssupposednottobeloaded,andtheotherarmyhadbeencomposedoftheirfemalerelations.Theverythoughtofitmakeoneshudder.

Therearemanysortsofbooks;butgoodonesarethesortfortheyoungtoread.rememberthat.Theyareagreat,aninestimable,andunspeakablemeansofimprovement.Thereforebecarefulinyourselection,myyoungfriends;beverycareful;confineyourselvesexclusivelytoRobertson’sSermons,Baxter’sSaint’sRest,TheInnocentsAbroad,andworksofthatkind.

ButIhavesaidenough.IhopeyouwilltreasureuptheinstructionswhichIhavegivenyou,andmakethemaguidetoyourfeetandalighttoyourunderstanding.Buildyourcharacterthoughtfullyandpainstakinglyupontheseprecepts,andbyandby,whenyouhavegotitbuilt,youwillbesurprisedandgratifiedtoseehownicelyandsharplyitresembleseverybodyelse’s.

(1882)