Quotations from

H. L. Mencken

About

Picture of H. L. Mencken

Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements. His satirical reporting on the Scopes trial, which he dubbed the "Monkey Trial", also earned him attention. The term Menckenian has entered multiple dictionaries to describe anything of or pertaining to Mencken, including his combative rhetorical and prose styles.

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H. L. Mencken is sometimes cited as:

Quotes from H. L. Mencken

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

—H. L. Mencken

A celebrity is one who is known to many persons he is glad he doesn't know.

—H. L. Mencken

Conscience is a mother-in-law whose visit never ends.

—H. L. Mencken

Criticism is prejudice made plausible.

—H. L. Mencken

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

—H. L. Mencken

It is impossible to imagine Goethe or Beethoven being good at billiards or golf.

—H. L. Mencken

Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.

—H. L. Mencken

I believe that all government is evil, and that trying to improve it is largely a waste of time.

—H. L. Mencken

The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office.

—H. L. Mencken

The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught.

—H. L. Mencken

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

—H. L. Mencken

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

—H. L. Mencken

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.

—H. L. Mencken

The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.

—H. L. Mencken

When love is in excess it brings a man no honor nor worthiness.

—H. L. Mencken

Books

H. L. Mencken has the following books quoted on Quodid: