H. L. Mencken Quotes

American - Writer September 12, 1880 - January 29, 1956

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

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

Science, Art, Democracy, Government

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

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

Humanity, Always, False, Save, Almost

In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one. - H. L. Mencken

In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one. H. L. Mencken

War, Soldiers, Veterans Day, Heroes, Ten

On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. H. L. Mencken

Heart, Day, Great, House, Reach, Desire

The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. - H. L. Mencken

The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. H. L. Mencken

Wisdom, Age, Grow, More, Distrust, Older

Legend: A lie that has attained the dignity of age. - H. L. Mencken

Legend: A lie that has attained the dignity of age. H. L. Mencken

Age, History, Lie, Legend, Dignity

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

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

Wisdom, Ignorance, Democracy, Belief

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

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

Simple, Problem, Wrong, Answer, Complex

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, Safety, Aim, Keep, Them, Whole

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

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

Law, Judge, Student, Examination, Own

Top 10
H. L. Mencken
Quotes

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

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

Women, Marriage, Men, Know, More, Than

Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods. - H. L. Mencken

Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods. H. L. Mencken

Election, Stolen, Every, Auction, Sort

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

Man, Government, Think, Dangerous, Out

A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. H. L. Mencken

Crazy, Newspaper, More, Ignorant, Device

Life is a constant oscillation between the sharp horns of dilemmas. - H. L. Mencken

Life is a constant oscillation between the sharp horns of dilemmas. H. L. Mencken

Life, Life Is A, Sharp, Horns, Between

Every man sees in his relatives, and especially in his cousins, a series of grotesque caricatures of himself. H. L. Mencken

Relationship, Man, Cousins, Relatives

Man is always looking for someone to boast to; woman is always looking for a shoulder to put her head on. H. L. Mencken

Man, Woman, Looking, Someone, Head, Her

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

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

Funny, Nobody, American, Taste, Broke

The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear - fear of the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety. H. L. Mencken

Fear, Man, Safety, Emotion, Unknown

Immorality: the morality of those who are having a better time. - H. L. Mencken

Immorality: the morality of those who are having a better time. H. L. Mencken

Time, Better, Morality, Who, Immorality

Self-respect: the secure feeling that no one, as yet, is suspicious. H. L. Mencken

Feeling, Self-Respect, Secure

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

Funny, Man, Believe, Average, He, Ape

We are here and it is now. Further than that, all human knowledge is moonshine. - H. L. Mencken

We are here and it is now. Further than that, all human knowledge is moonshine. H. L. Mencken

Knowledge, Now, Human, Than, Here

Each party steals so many articles of faith from the other, and the candidates spend so much time making each other's speeches, that by the time election day is past there is nothing much to do save turn the sitting rascals out and let a new gang in. H. L. Mencken

Faith, Time, Day, Election, Past, New

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, Believe, Better, Free, Know

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, Man, Hands, Flag, Normal, Begin

Loading...

Load more quotes

Related Authors

William Arthur Ward

Robert A. Heinlein

BrainyQuote

BrainyQuote Desktop

BrainyQuote Mobile

Site

Quote Of The Day

Social

BQ on Pinterest

BQ on Instagram

Apps

iPhone/iPad app

Quote Of The Day Feeds

Javascript and RSS feeds

WordPress plugin

Quote of the Day Email

About

Copyright © 2001 - 2019 BrainyQuote

Language: Español | Français

Please disable your ad blocker

OK