--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Within two minutes, or even less, he had…" description: "\"“Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/mark-twain-22_stranger_within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-f_1821694.png" --- # Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his… ![“Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time—just as men's misfortunes are…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/mark-twain-22_stranger_within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-f_1821694.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/mark-twain-22_stranger_within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-f_1821694.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/mark-twain-22_stranger_within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-f_1821694.png) > ““Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time—just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises. This new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it un-disturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music—the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet—no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer. The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom checked his whistle. A stranger was before him—a boy a shade larger than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an im-pressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy was well dressed, too—well”” [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. A boy discovers a new skill that captivates his mind, temporarily erasing his worries and bringing intense joy. **In simple terms:** Learning a new hobby can distract from problems and bring happiness. Key Takeaway Seek fresh interests to relieve stress. Themes distraction joy learning mindfulness Mood playful reflective Type inspirational literary When to use this quote - learning music - practicing whistling - overcoming boredom - finding purpose Key Concepts novelty flow gratitude Questions to Reflect On - What new activity could you try to shift your focus? - How long does the distraction last? A Different Perspective The relief is fleeting; underlying issues remain unresolved. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Novelty Whistling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelty-whistling-2199832/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Stranger Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger-boy-2199833/) [Well dressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-dressed/) [Whistle Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whistle-stranger-2199831/) [Whistling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whistling/) ## Related quotes > [“Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whitless heavy and bitter to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-forgotten-all-his-troubles-not-2/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/man-is-the-only-animal-that-deals-in-that-atrocity-of-atrocities-war/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [To appear well dressed, be skinny and tall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/to-appear-well-dressed-be-skinny-and-tall/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Whatever the reasons, I enjoyed being nude; it felt natural to me. I got the same kind of pleasure from being free of clothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charis-wilson/whatever-the-reasons-i-enjoyed-being-nude-it-felt-natural-to-me-i-got/) [Charis Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charis-wilson/) > [Dressing well is a form of good manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/dressing-well-is-a-form-of-good-manners/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [“Dirt is a great respecter of persons; it lets you alone when you are well dressed, but as soon as your collar is gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/dirt-is-a-great-respecter-of-persons-it-lets-you-alone-when-you-are/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [It's more important to be happy than well-dressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/it-s-more-important-to-be-happy-than-well-dressed/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [The religion of England is part of good-breeding. When you see on the continent the well-dressed Englishman come into his ambassador's chapel and put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-religion-of-england-is-part-of-good-breeding-when-you-see-on-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Never,ever confuse what happens on a runway with fashion. A runway is spectacle. It's only fashion when a woman puts it on. Being well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-renta/never-ever-confuse-what-happens-on-a-runway-with-fashion-a-runway-is/) [Oscar de la Renta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-renta/) > [I was not ugly. I might never be anything for men to lose their heads about, but I need never again be ugly. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/i-was-not-ugly-i-might-never-be-anything-for-men-to-lose-their-heads/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [I think I've heard somebody say that I was a well-dressed golfer. I guess that has something to do with the fact that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/i-think-i-ve-heard-somebody-say-that-i-was-a-well-dressed-golfer-i/) [Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/) > [Every young woman should dress well, that is, neatly, tastefully, modestly, whether she be rich or poor. Conspicuous dressing is vulgar. True refinement avoids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-miller/every-young-woman-should-dress-well-that-is-neatly-tastefully/) [J.R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-miller/) > [“of the ready green on a blue felt top. The gentlemen who had assembled around it for an evening of high-stakes Hold ’Em were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-woodrell/of-the-ready-green-on-a-blue-felt-top-the-gentlemen-who-had-assembled/) [Daniel Woodrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-woodrell/) > [We have a direct contact with our clothes; they're like a little house. You have to feel good and at home in what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christophe-lemaitre/we-have-a-direct-contact-with-our-clothes-they-re-like-a-little-house/) [Christophe Lemaitre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christophe-lemaitre/) > [Has a woman who knew she was well-dressed ever caught a cold?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/has-a-woman-who-knew-she-was-well-dressed-ever-caught-a-cold/) [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. I've done it hundreds of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easy-to-quit-smoking-i-ve-done-it-hundreds-of-times/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-never-wrong-to-do-the-right-thing/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There is nothing training can't cannot do. 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 Stranger quotes > [I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-always-that-i-am-an-outsider-a-stranger-in-this-century-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [A place has almost the shyness of a person, with strangers; and its secret is not to be surprised by a too direct interrogation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/a-place-has-almost-the-shyness-of-a-person-with-strangers-and-its/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [I admire President Obama's ability to trust strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-admire-president-obama-s-ability-to-trust-strangers/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [It’s sad when friends become enemies. But what’s even worse is when they become strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-williams/it-s-sad-when-friends-become-enemies-but-what-s-even-worse-is-when/) [Hayley Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-williams/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Standing as a witness in all things means being kind in all things, being the first to say hello, being the first to smile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/standing-as-a-witness-in-all-things-means-being-kind-in-all-things/) [Margaret D. Nadauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-d-nadauld/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [It is part of God's plan for us that Christ shall come to us in everyone; it is in their particular role that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caryll-houselander/it-is-part-of-god-s-plan-for-us-that-christ-shall-come-to-us-in/) [Caryll Houselander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caryll-houselander/) > [Naked in front of strangers? I can barely be naked in front of my lovers; in front of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara/naked-in-front-of-strangers-i-can-barely-be-naked-in-front-of-my/) [Clara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara/) > [Cameras are a lifesaver for very shy people who have nowhere else to hide. Behind a lens they can disguise the fact that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/cameras-are-a-lifesaver-for-very-shy-people-who-have-nowhere-else-to/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [We were at a Giants game, and my manager told me, 'Sadie, you have an audition for a show called 'Stranger Things,'' and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadie-sink/we-were-at-a-giants-game-and-my-manager-told-me-sadie-you-have-an/) [Sadie Sink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadie-sink/) > [One can show no greater respect than to weep for a stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/one-can-show-no-greater-respect-than-to-weep-for-a-stranger/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) [Browse all 2,663 Stranger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time—just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises. This new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it un-disturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music—the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet—no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer. The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom checked his whistle. A stranger was before him—a boy a shade larger than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an im-pressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy was well dressed, too—well”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Twain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-forgotten-all-his-troubles-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Stranger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-forgotten-all-his-troubles-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/mark-twain-22_stranger_within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-f_1821694.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/mark-twain-22_stranger_within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-f_1821694.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/mark-twain-22_stranger_within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-f_1821694.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit…” — Mark Twain", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mark Twain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Within two minutes, or even less,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-forgotten-all-his-troubles-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/within-two-minutes-or-even-less-he-had-forgotten-all-his-troubles-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```