Mark Twain Quote Analysis

Mark Twain states “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect)” which I both agree and disagree with. This quote is highly situational, so finding yourself on the side of the majority can be either reassuring or dangerously conformative. These differing stances are reflected in both modern day society and in the works of transcendentalists and anti-transcendentalists decades ago.

Mark Twain’s quote is flawed for a few reasons. For example, our form of government in the United States is a democracy, and it relies on majority votes for representatives who then decide how to govern our country through other majority votes. We all have to rely on others who share our opinions to create change or garner attention, and that is not a bad thing like Twain suggests that it is. “Going against the grain” means nothing if you aren’t doing it for a reason that resonates with you and deserves to be expressed. Another way to think about this is in mainstream media. When hundreds of people are raving about a show, they likely have a good reason for doing so, and you’re not a nonindependent person for being influenced by that and enjoying the show. Finding yourself agreeing with others or taking into account their opinions is actually reassuring, and can be helpful in bettering the country, your viewing experience/quality, or anything else for that matter.

In the mid to late 1800s, transcendentalism was a growing movement. However, so was anti-transcendentalism, and people who agreed with that movement would likely disagree with Mark Twain’s quote about dismissing the opinions held by the majority. One of the key differences between the two groups was that transcendentalists believed that individualism was vital and should be revered while anti-transcendentalist found nonconformity absurd and unusual. Some well known anti-transcendentalists included Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote “The Minister’s Black Veil,” and Herman Melville, who wrote “Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street.” Melville’s story in particular showcased a young man named Bartleby who simply refused to do what was expected of him because he “preferred not to.” His refusal to do his job like everyone else was depicted as highly unusual, and it even led to his own death. This is a great example of the belief held by anti-transcendentalists about how noncompliance was viewed as cumbersome and ill-fated which contradicts Twain’s quote.

However, Twain’s quote does hold merit in other situations. When most humans see a big group or an overarching set of beliefs, they are more inclined to agree with those out of fear of seeming odd or being left out. This type of conformity is called “groupthink” in social psychology, and can cause people to abandon their own ideas in exchange for acceptance into a group of people. When one conforms to an idea out of sheer lack of faith in themselves, no one is hurt but no one is benefited and ignorance rules over society. If everyone agreed what others did, then the world we know today would be vastly different. Trailblazers like Galileo or MLK Jr would have never spoken out, and we may have still believed that we were the center of the universe, or that segregation was just. In the end, individualism should be encouraged rather than be allowed to fall victim to beliefs that uneducated or ignorant people may hold. 

Twain’s quote supports ideals reflected by transcendentalism, which is a movement that stresses the importance of intuition and individualism. Notable transcendentalists include Henry David Thoreau, the author of “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience” and Ralph Waldo Emersonn, author of “The Divinity School Address” and “Self Reliance.” Thoreau was especially outspoken about his beliefs, and even went so far as to live in the woods to (attempt to) live a life without routine and expectations. He delineates his life living in the woods in his narrative, “Walden,” and promotes originality and intuition over opinions of the masses throughout.