H. L. Mencken Quotes

H. L. Mencken (162)

Birth:	12th September, 1880
Death:	29th January, 1956
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Journalist, Writer

Related Authors

• Abigail Van Buren
• Christopher Walter Monckton
• Jayson Blair
• Carrie Donovan
• Michael Kinsley
• Victoria Billings
• Herbert Kaufman
• Ring Lardner
• Catherine Helen Spence
• Charles Mackay

Advertisement

Today's Anniversary - 19th June

Births

• 1949 - Boris Johnson
• 1945 - Tobias Wolff
• 1978 - Zoe Saldana
• 1856 - Elbert Hubbard
• 1906 - Bruce Bennett

Deaths

• 1993 - William Golding
• 1987 - Michel de Saint-Pierre
• 1914 - Walter Brandon Thomas
• 1902 - John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton
• 1867 - Henry Dodge

• If we assume that man actually does resemble God, then we are forced into the impossible theory that God is a coward, an idiot and a bounder.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in God

• The essence of science is that it is always willing to abandon a given idea for a better one; the essence of theology is that it holds its truths to be eternal and immutable.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Religion, Truth

  Tags in Science

• Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Sale, Stolen

• 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

  Topics in Politics

  Tags in Alarmed, Menacing

• As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Democracy, Politics

  Tags in Government

• 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

  Topics in Politics

  Tags in Forever, Common

• A good politician under democracy is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Democracy, Politics

  Tags in Politicians

• Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Belief

  Tags in Improbable, Faith

• It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Truth

  Tags in Telling, Lie

• All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. they never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced upon them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Newspapers

• An idealist is a man who looks at a rose, and thinks, because it smells sweet, it will make better soup than a cabbage.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Idealism

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

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Wisdom

  Tags in Further, Moonshine

• Truth would quickly cease to be stranger than fiction, once we got as used to it.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Humor, Truth

  Tags in Philosophy

• Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Humor

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

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Love

  Tags in Throats, Spit

• For every problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Problem

• There is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Writing

• A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Funny

  Tags in Examination, Judge

• The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.

  H. L. Mencken

  Topics in Age, Funny, Humor, Wisdom

  Tags in Older, Bring

• 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

  Topics in Death

  Tags in Ghost, Depart