--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he…" description: "\"...Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimag..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/mark-twain-22_angel_man-is-a-marvelous-curiosity-when-he-is_1262155.png" --- # ...Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very… ![“...Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the 'noblest work of God.'” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/mark-twain-22_angel_man-is-a-marvelous-curiosity-when-he-is_1262155.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/mark-twain-22_angel_man-is-a-marvelous-curiosity-when-he-is_1262155.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/mark-twain-22_angel_man-is-a-marvelous-curiosity-when-he-is_1262155.png) > “...Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the 'noblest work of God.'” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature contains both noble and base extremes, often self‑contradictory, yet we claim divine purpose. **In simple terms:** People are both good and bad, yet think they’re the best. Key Takeaway Recognize humility and self‑awareness. Themes human nature contradiction pride humility Mood reflective ironic Type philosophical literary motivational When to use this quote - personal reflection - leadership - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts dualism self‑deception existential irony Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance your strengths and flaws? - What does calling yourself “the noblest work of God” reveal? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on self‑importance can blind us to growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Firsts and lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts-and-lasts/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sarcasm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sarcasm/) [Sincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity/) [Unspeakable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unspeakable/) ## Related quotes > [“Lafayette was a splendid man...with a marvelous, self-depreciating sense of humor. He was, for example, balding noticeably when he reached an Indian outpost...and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlow-giles-unger/lafayette-was-a-splendid-man-with-a-marvelous-self-depreciating-sense/) [Harlow Giles Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlow-giles-unger/) > [God's noblest work. Man who found it out? Man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/god-s-noblest-work-man-who-found-it-out-man/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Suddenly the nickel-clad horse takes the bit in its mouth and goes slanting for the curbstone defying all prayers and all your powers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/suddenly-the-nickel-clad-horse-takes-the-bit-in-its-mouth-and-goes/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It is curious and interesting to notice what an attraction a fussy, mincing, nickel-plated word has for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-curious-and-interesting-to-notice-what-an-attraction-a-fussy/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Father asked us what was God's noblest work. Anna said men, but I said babies. 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Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [If an honest man is the noblest work of God, then Mr. Lincoln's title to high nobility is clear and unquestioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-simpson/if-an-honest-man-is-the-noblest-work-of-god-then-mr-lincoln-s-title/) [Matthew Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-simpson/) > [An honest God is the noblest work of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/an-honest-god-is-the-noblest-work-of-man/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“the noblest work a woman can do is training and rearing her children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-thomas/the-noblest-work-a-woman-can-do-is-training-and-rearing-her-children/) [Edith Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-thomas/) > [What does a philosopher demand of himself, first and last? To overcome his time in himself, to become "timeless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-does-a-philosopher-demand-of-himself-first-and-last-to-overcome/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Mark Twain > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-creator-sat-upon-the-throne-thinking-behind-him-stretched-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It's easy to quit smoking. 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Nothing is above its reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-training-can-t-cannot-do-nothing-is-above-its-reach/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I never write Metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-write-metropolis-for-seven-cents-because-i-can-get-the-same/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The higher animals get their teeth without pain or inconvenience. Man gets his through months and months of cruel torture; he will never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-higher-animals-get-their-teeth-without-pain-or-inconvenience-man/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“As far as I can see, Italy, for fifteen hundred years, has turned all her energies, all her finances, and all her industry to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/as-far-as-i-can-see-italy-for-fifteen-hundred-years-has-turned-all/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Begin with the determination to succeed and the work is half done already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/begin-with-the-determination-to-succeed-and-the-work-is-half-done/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Many public-school children seem to know only two dates—1492 and 4th of July; and as a rule they don't know what happened on either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/many-public-school-children-seem-to-know-only-two-dates-1492-and-4th/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If we could imagine such a man, that is a man who could invent the fly and send him out on his mission and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-we-could-imagine-such-a-man-that-is-a-man-who-could-invent-the-fly/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [You perceive, now, that these things are all impossible except in a dream. You perceive that they are pure and puerile insanities, the silly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-perceive-now-that-these-things-are-all-impossible-except-in-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Lord save us all from a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/lord-save-us-all-from-a-hope-tree-that-has-lost-the-faculty-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) [Explore all 3,277 Mark Twain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More Angel quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. 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Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. 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"this is it", he said, standing by a small khaki-colored jeep."this car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/mooner-was-walking-around-laying-his-hands-on-the-cars-divining-karma/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 4,625 Angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "...Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. 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