What this quote means

Mark Twain uses a humorous metaphor to say that breaking a habit requires patience and gradualness. You can't eliminate it at once; you have to reduce it step by step. This encourages us to be kind to ourselves and aim for small progress. Lasting change is a process, not a brutal event.

How to apply it daily

Choose a habit to break and reduce it gradually. For example, if you want to use your phone less, set phone-free time slots and increase them each week.