H. L. Mencken Quotes

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.
H. L. Mencken

Love, War, Hard

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
H. L. Mencken

Politics, Keep, Whole

In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.
H. L. Mencken

Politics, Thankful, Sorrow

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.
H. L. Mencken

Simple, Problem, Wrong

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.
H. L. Mencken

Government, Able, Lives

Quote

Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
H. L. Mencken

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
H. L. Mencken

Good, Hard, Democracy

Bachelors know more about women than married men; if they didn't they'd be married too.
H. L. Mencken

Marriage, Women, Men

We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.
H. L. Mencken

Religion, Respect, Beautiful

No matter how happily a woman may be married, it always pleases her to discover that there is a nice man who wishes that she were not.
H. L. Mencken

Nice, Woman, May

I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant.
H. L. Mencken

Truth, Lie, Free

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken

Black, Times, Normal

The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.
H. L. Mencken

Humanity, Almost, Rule

It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.
H. L. Mencken

Funny, Harder, Average

If, after I depart this vale, you ever remember me and have thought to please my ghost, forgive some sinner and wink your eye at some homely girl.
H. L. Mencken

Girl, Thought, Remember

It is now quite lawful for a Catholic woman to avoid pregnancy by a resort to mathematics, though she is still forbidden to resort to physics or chemistry.
H. L. Mencken

Woman, She, Chemistry

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.
H. L. Mencken

Hate, Everything, Honesty

Temptation is a woman's weapon and man's excuse.
H. L. Mencken

Woman, Temptation, Excuse

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
H. L. Mencken

Wisdom, Ignorance, Democracy

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.
H. L. Mencken

Funny, American, Public

A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married.
H. L. Mencken

Fool, May, Married

If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.
H. L. Mencken

Found, Promise, Among

A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.
H. L. Mencken

Judge, Law, Student

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
H. L. Mencken

Government, Art, Science

A national political campaign is better than the best circus ever heard of, with a mass baptism and a couple of hangings thrown in.
H. L. Mencken

Best, Political, Heard

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Writer

Born: September 12, 1880

Died: January 29, 1956

Links

Find on Amazon: H. L. Mencken

Cite this Page: Citation

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