H. L. Mencken Quotes - Page 10

• The function of a newspaper in a democracy is to stand as a sort of chronic opposition to the reigning quacks. The minute it begins to out-whoop them it forfeits its character and becomes ridiculous.

  H. L. Mencken

  Character, Democracy, Ridiculous

  H.L. Mencken (2012). “Diary of H. L. Mencken”, p.281, Vintage

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• The believing mind reaches its perihelion in the so-called Liberals. They believe in each and every quack who sets up his booth inthe fairgrounds, including the Communists. The Communists have some talents too, but they always fall short of believing in the Liberals.

  H. L. Mencken

  Believe, Fall, Mind

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• The American people, I am convinced, really detest free speech. At the slightest alarm they are ready and eager to put it down.

  H. L. Mencken

  People, Alarms, Speech

  H.L. Mencken (2012). “Diary of H. L. Mencken”, p.635, Vintage

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• We have had more brilliant Presidents than Cleveland, and one or two who were considerably more profound, but we have never had one, at least since Washington, whose fundamental character was solider and more admirable.

  H. L. Mencken

  Character, Two, Profound

  H.L. Mencken (2012). “Mencken Chrestomathy”, p.226, Vintage

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• Correct spelling, indeed, is one of the arts that are far more esteemed by schoolma’ams than by practical men, neck-deep in the heat and agony of the world.

  H. L. Mencken

  Art, Men, Agony

  H.L. Mencken (2012). “American Language Supplement 2”, p.563, Knopf

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• It is not materialism that is the chief curse of the world, as pastors teach, but idealism. Men get into trouble by taking their visions and hallucinations too seriously.

  H. L. Mencken

  Men, Vision, World

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• All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them.

  H. L. Mencken

  Men, Progress, Society

  H.L. Mencken (2013). “Minority Report”, p.416, Knopf

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• Of all the human qualities, the one I admire the most is competence. A tailor who is really able to cut and fit a coat seems to me an admirable man, and by the same token a university professor who knows little or nothing of the thing he presumes to teach seems to me to be a fraud and a rascal.

  H. L. Mencken

  Cutting, Men, University Professors

  H.L. Mencken (2013). “Minority Report”, p.167, Knopf

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• The only cure for contempt is counter-contempt.

  H. L. Mencken

  Cures, Contempt

  H.L. Mencken (2013). “Minority Report”, p.100, Knopf

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• [Science] must be amoral by its very nature: The minute it begins separating facts into the two categories of good ones and bad ones it ceases to be science and becomes a mere nuisance, like theology.

  H. L. Mencken

  Two, Nuisance, Facts

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• The only way to reconcile science and religion is to set up something which is not science and something that is not religion.

  H. L. Mencken

  Science, Way, Science And Religion

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• To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much nobler it would be if men died for ideas that were true!

  H. L. Mencken

  Wisdom, Men, Ideas

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• One of the main purposes of laws in a democratic society is to put burdens upon intelligence and reduce it to impotence. Ostensibly, their aim is to penalize anti-social acts; actually their aim is to penalize heretical opinions. At least ninety-five Americans out of every 100 believe that this process is honest and even laudable; it is practically impossible to convince them that there is anything evil in it. In other words, they cannot grasp the concept of liberty.

  H. L. Mencken

  Business, Believe, Law

  "Liberty and Democracy". Baltimore Evening Sun (April 13, 1925) as quoted in "A Second Mencken Chrestomathy: A New Selection from the Writings of America's Legendary Editor, Critic, and Wit" edited by Terry Teachout (p. 35), 1994.

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• Human life is basically a comedy. Even its tragedies often seem comic to the spectator, and not infrequently they actually have comic touches to the victim. Happiness probably consists largely in the capacity to detect and relish them. A man who can laugh, if only at himself, is never really miserable.

  H. L. Mencken

  Men, Laughing, Tragedy

  H.L. Mencken (2013). “Minority Report”, p.21, Knopf

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• Looking for an honest politician is like looking for an ethical burglar.

  H. L. Mencken

  Political, Honest, Politician

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• I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.

  H. L. Mencken

  Believe, Thinking, Religion

  "What I Believe". "The Forum", 84, (p. 139), September 1930.

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• Government today is growing too strong to be safe. There are no longer any citizens in the world there are only subjects. They work day in and day out for their masters they are bound to die for their masters at call. Out of this working and dying they tend to get less and less.

  H. L. Mencken

  Strong, Government, Dying

  H.L. Mencken (2012). “Mencken Chrestomathy”, p.148, Vintage

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• The storm center of lawlessness in every American State is the State Capitol. It is there that the worst crimes are committed; it is there that lawbreaking attains to the estate and dignity of a learned profession; it is there that contempt for the laws is engendered, fostered, and spread broadcast.

  H. L. Mencken

  Government, Law, Liberty

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• 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

  Essence, Ideas, Religion

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• Nine out of ten Americans are actually monarchists at bottom. The fact is proved by their high suseptibility to political claims by president's sons and other relatives, usually nonentities.

  H. L. Mencken

  Son, Government, Political

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• Dachshund: A half-a-dog high and a dog-and-a-half long.

  H. L. Mencken

  Funny, Dog, Long

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• The worst government is often the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression.

  H. L. Mencken

  Government, Usa, Literature

  "The Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations". Book edited by Antony Jay, 1996.

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• Human progress is furthered, not by conformity, but by aberration.

  H. L. Mencken

  Wisdom, Progress, Aberration

  H.L. Mencken (2013). “Second Mencken Chrestomathy”, p.470, Vintage

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• There is, it appears, a conspiracy of scientists afoot. Their purpose is to break down religion, propagate immorality, and so reduce mankind to the level of brutes. They are the sworn and sinister agents of Beelzebub, who yearns to conquer the world, and has his eye especially upon Tennessee.]

  H. L. Mencken

  Eye, Science, Conquer The World

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• The typical lawmaker of today is a man wholly devoid of principle - a mere counter in a grotesque and knavish game. If the right pressure could be applied to him, he would be cheerfully in favor of polygamy, astrology or cannibalism.

  H. L. Mencken

  Men, Astrology, Games

  H.L. Mencken (2012). “Mencken Chrestomathy”, p.261, Vintage

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