--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a…" description: "\"“I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.\" - Mark Twain”\" — Mike McManus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/mike-mcmanus-93416_funeral_i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a_766346.jpg" --- # I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter… ![“I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain” quote by Mike McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/mike-mcmanus-93416_funeral_i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a_766346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/mike-mcmanus-93416_funeral_i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a_766346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/mike-mcmanus-93416_funeral_i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a_766346.jpg) > ““I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain”” Mike McManus ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes a polite, indirect way to express disapproval of a funeral by sending a letter instead of attending. **In simple terms:** Sending a letter shows disapproval without attending. Key Takeaway Consider alternative ways to express dissent. Themes social etiquette disapproval communication funeral customs Mood thoughtful critical Type Funeral:1 Mark twain:1 Attend Funeral:0 Funeral Sent:0 Nice Letter:1 Letter Saying:0 When to use this quote - family events - public statements - personal relationships Key Concepts political correctness personal boundaries cultural norms Questions to Reflect On - When is indirect communication appropriate? - How do you balance respect with personal belief? A Different Perspective The act may be viewed as disrespectful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funeral/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a-nice-letter-saying-i-2/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-did-not-attend-his-funeral-but-i-sent-a-nice-letter-saying-i/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you wish to live, you must first attend your own funeral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/if-you-wish-to-live-you-must-first-attend-your-own-funeral/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [“I just thought that a man, or in this case a woman, never gets too busy to attend his or her own funeral. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cortez-law-iii/i-just-thought-that-a-man-or-in-this-case-a-woman-never-gets-too-busy/) [Cortez Law III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cortez-law-iii/) > [No American is prepared to attend his own funeral without the services of highly skilled cosmeticians. Part of the American dream, after all, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-friedenberg/no-american-is-prepared-to-attend-his-own-funeral-without-the/) [Edgar Friedenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-friedenberg/) > [The chief mourner does not always attend the funeral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-chief-mourner-does-not-always-attend-the-funeral/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Even the best of friends cannot attend each other's funeral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehlog-albran/even-the-best-of-friends-cannot-attend-each-other-s-funeral/) Kehlog Albran > [To listen to some people in Politics, you'd think-nice-was a four-letter word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steel/to-listen-to-some-people-in-politics-you-d-think-nice-was-a-four/) [David Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steel/) > [“I made my bed and I sleep like a baby with no regrets and I don't mind saying it's a sad, sad story when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixie-chicks/i-made-my-bed-and-i-sleep-like-a-baby-with-no-regrets-and-i-don-t/) Dixie Chicks > [I found u by my door u brought me a letter saying I want to die I came down on earth and said no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtneyhood/i-found-u-by-my-door-u-brought-me-a-letter-saying-i-want-to-die-i/) Courtneyhood > [It's difficult to sit down and write a letter back saying, "you know what, even if we remove the word from the dictionary, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kory-stamper/it-s-difficult-to-sit-down-and-write-a-letter-back-saying-you-know/) [Kory Stamper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kory-stamper/) > [“By the light of a candle, he composed a letter, saying everything as briefly as possible:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/by-the-light-of-a-candle-he-composed-a-letter-saying-everything-as/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Mama wrote a letter to my father saying' I want to work with you' and she ended the letter saying' in Italian I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/mama-wrote-a-letter-to-my-father-saying-i-want-to-work-with-you-and/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [What do we do with a president who can basically change what Congress passed by attaching a letter saying I don't agree with this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/what-do-we-do-with-a-president-who-can-basically-change-what-congress/) [Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/) > [For West is where we all plan to go some day. It is where you go when the land gives out and the old-field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/for-west-is-where-we-all-plan-to-go-some-day-it-is-where-you-go-when/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) ## More by Mike McManus > [“Whatever you think you do well, do it. There is nothing better than feeling gratified.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mcmanus/whatever-you-think-you-do-well-do-it-there-is-nothing-better-than/) Mike McManus Explore all 2 Mike McManus quotes ## More Funeral quotes > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [“Well, they took the neck bones down from the Royal Oaks tree. Rest of the bones they separated from the chains on the ground.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-e-wright/well-they-took-the-neck-bones-down-from-the-royal-oaks-tree-rest-of/) Sarah E Wright > [Christ never preached any funeral sermons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/christ-never-preached-any-funeral-sermons/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [ The most important thing I learned \[...\] was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-extence/the-most-important-thing-i-learned-was-that-when-a-person-dies-he/) [Gavin Extence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-extence/) > [“What about your funeral, eh?” She asks. “You mean the one that is never going to happen ever because I am going to gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wolf/what-about-your-funeral-eh-she-asks-you-mean-the-one-that-is-never/) [Sara Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wolf/) > [The Nobel is a ticket to one's own funeral. No one has ever done anything after he got it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/the-nobel-is-a-ticket-to-one-s-own-funeral-no-one-has-ever-done/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [“I feel like I just went to my own funeral. and I didn’t like the eulogy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lane-pryce/i-feel-like-i-just-went-to-my-own-funeral-and-i-didn-t-like-the-eulogy/) Lane Pryce > [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Much can they praise the trees so straight and high, The sailing pine,the cedar proud and tall, The vine-prop elm, the poplar never dry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-spenser/much-can-they-praise-the-trees-so-straight-and-high-the-sailing-pine/) [Edmund Spenser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-spenser/) > [Growing up, there were a lot of funerals that I attended, and the adults at the funerals went out of their way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/growing-up-there-were-a-lot-of-funerals-that-i-attended-and-the/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [Funerals and weddings were commonplace, and nothing could have been so interesting to them as the coming of the end of the world ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-eggleston/funerals-and-weddings-were-commonplace-and-nothing-could-have-been-so/) [Edward Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-eggleston/) > [I've got no idea when I am going to retire. Whenever they pick me up and take me to the funeral home, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colonel-sanders/i-ve-got-no-idea-when-i-am-going-to-retire-whenever-they-pick-me-up/) [Colonel Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colonel-sanders/) > [My father? A hard drinking man from the 70's. We actually have no pictures of my dad where he is not holding a beer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/my-father-a-hard-drinking-man-from-the-70-s-we-actually-have-no/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [At my funeral, if one said, 'Nick was a generous person,' trust me I won't be doing cartwheels in my coffin. Recognition from people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-vujicic/at-my-funeral-if-one-said-nick-was-a-generous-person-trust-me-i-won-t/) [Nick Vujicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-vujicic/) [Browse all 1,014 Funeral quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funeral/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.\" - Mark Twain”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike McManus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mcmanus/i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a-nice-letter-saying-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Funeral" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mcmanus/i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a-nice-letter-saying-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/mike-mcmanus-93416_funeral_i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a_766346.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/mike-mcmanus-93416_funeral_i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a_766346.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/mike-mcmanus-93416_funeral_i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a_766346.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.\" - Mark Twain” — Mike McManus", "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": "Mike McManus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mcmanus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I didn't attend the funeral, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mcmanus/i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a-nice-letter-saying-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mcmanus/i-didn-t-attend-the-funeral-but-i-sent-a-nice-letter-saying-i/#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 } } ] } ```