Mark Twain’s Advice on Growing Old

In a birthday speech, Twain spoke about habits, laughter, and the necessity of savoring peace.

In his birthday address, Twain wished his friends a contented heart when they reached his age, advising them not to compare themselves with others. Library of Congess

On Dec. 5, 1905, 170 friends and writers gathered at Delmonico’s in Manhattan to celebrate 70-year-old Mark Twain’s recent birthday. President Theodore Roosevelt sent a telegram of congratulations and praise, the press gave the event play in the papers, and people from around the country saluted Twain as the United States’ premier humorist and storyteller.

But it isn’t this glittering occasion that’s remembered so much as Twain’s address to his audience that evening. He was in fine comedic form, ruminating on “the time of life when you arrive at a new and awful dignity,” and bringing bursts of laughter from the crowd. In that speech, there’s a great deal of wisdom on aging, some of it only implied, that might benefit some of us today.