Henry Louis Mencken
United States
12 Sep 1880 // 29 Jan 1956
Journalist / Satirist /Social critic
12 Sep 1880 // 29 Jan 1956
Journalist / Satirist /Social critic
Quotes
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Great artists are modest almost as seldom as they are faithful to their wives
Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good
For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong
For centuries, theologians have been explaining the unknowable in terms of the-not-worth-knowing
Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats
Economic independence is the foundation of the only sort of freedom worth a damn
Do not overestimate the decency of the human race
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance
Criticism is prejudice made plausible
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays
Essays