There is no record in human history of a happy philosopher: they exist only in romantic legend. H. L. Mencken More Quotes by H. L. Mencken More Quotes From H. L. Mencken I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave. H. L. Mencken freedom men believe If I had my way, any man guilty of golf would be ineligible for any office of trust in the United States. H. L. Mencken office golf men The idea that the sole aim of punishment is to prevent crime is obviously grounded upon the theory that crime can be prevented, which is almost as dubious as the notion that poverty can be prevented. H. L. Mencken dubious punishment ideas There is nothing worse than an idle hour, with no occupation offering. People who have many such hours are simply animals waiting docilely for death. We all come to that state soon or late. It is the curse of senility. H. L. Mencken offering animal death No democratic delusion is more fatuous than that which holds that all men are capable of reason, and hence susceptible to conversion by evidence. If religions depended upon evidence for their prolongation, then all of them would collapse. H. L. Mencken democratic reason men Taxation, for example, is eternally lively; it concerns nine-tenths of us more directly than either smallpox or golf, and has just as much drama in it; moreover, it has been mellowed and made gay by as many gaudy, preposterous theories H. L. Mencken gay golf drama I have lived in one house in Baltimore for nearly forty-five years. It has changed in that time, as I have - but somehow it still remains the same. No conceivable decorator's masterpiece could give me the same ease. It is as much a part of me as my two hands. If I had to leave it I'd be as certainly crippled as if I lost a leg. H. L. Mencken two hands years Unquestionably, there is progress. The average American now pays out twice as much in taxes as he formerly got in wages. H. L. Mencken humorous average america American journalism (like the journalism of any other country) is predominantly paltry and worthless. Its pretensions are enormous, but its achievements are insignificant. H. L. Mencken journalism achievement country After all is said and done, a hell lot of a lot more is said than done. H. L. Mencken hell done said Even a superstitious man has certain inalienable rights: the right to harbor and indulge his imbecilities, provided only that he does not try to inflict them upon others by force; he has the right to argue for them as eloquently as he can. But he has no right to be protected from the criticism of those who do not hold them. He has no right to demand that they be treated as sacred. He has no right to preach them without challenge. H. L. Mencken rights challenges men The fundamental trouble with marriage is that it shakes a man's confidence in himself, and so greatly diminishes his general competence and effectiveness. His habit of mind becomes that of a commander who has lost a decisive and calamitous battle. He quite trusts himself thereafter. H. L. Mencken wedding marriage men A woman wishes to mother a man simply because she sees into his helplessness, his need of an amiable environment, his touching self-delusion. H. L. Mencken self mother men No sane man objects to palpable lies about him; what he objects to is damaging facts. H. L. Mencken men lying facts The capacity of human beings to bore one another seems to be vastly greater than that of any other animal. Some of their most esteemed inventions have no other apparent purpose - for example, the dinner party of more than two, the epic poem, and the science of metaphysics. H. L. Mencken party humor funny [Government's] great contribution to human wisdom...is the discovery that the taxpayer has more than one pocket. H. L. Mencken liberty government discovery The extortions and oppressions of government will go on so long as such bare fraudulence deceives and disarms the victims; so long as they are ready to swallow the immemorial official theory that protesting against the stealings of the archbishop's secretary's nephew's mistress' illegitimate son is a sin against the Holy Ghost. H. L. Mencken government long son The great secret of happiness in love is to be glad that the other fellow married her. H. L. Mencken married secret love-is For it is mutual trust, even more than mutual interest that holds human associations together. H. L. Mencken mutual-interest trust together No one hates his job so heartily as a farmer. H. L. Mencken hate work jobs
