The Sharp Wit and Bold Views of HL Mencken: Quotes That Challenge Convention

HL Mencken was a journalist, essayist, and social critic whose irreverent views on politics, culture, and human nature made him one of the most influential figures of early 20th-century American literature. Known for his biting wit and deep skepticism, Mencken didn’t shy away from criticizing the prevailing norms of society. His work often challenged the status quo, making him a polarizing yet beloved fig

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1. On Democracy and the Common Man

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”
— *PrejudicesPrejudices: First Series

Men

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2. On the Delusions of Religion

“Theology is the most angry and the most dangerous of all the intellectual disciplines, because it is an angry man’s game and an old man’s game.”
— *The American Language

Mencken

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3. On the Absurdity of Public Opinion

“The majority is always wrong; the minority is rarely right.”
—A Carnival of Buncombe

Mencken had a

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4. On Human Nature

“Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.”
— *PrejudPrejudices: First Series

5. On the Nature of Writers

“A writer is a person who has something to say, and it is his duty to say it, whether the world wants to hear it or not.”
— *HLHL Mencken’s Notebooks

6. On the Illusion of Progress

“Progress is the victory of common sense over the uncommon sense.”
— *TheThe American Language

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7. On Politics and the American Dream

“The political parties are like two bags of manure, and the task of the people is to figure out which bag smells worse.”
—Prejudices: First Series

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8. On Education and Intellectualism

“The kind of man who demands that government obey the law is a man who demands that the government be good, but it is also a man who demands that it be human.”
—The American Language

Mencken often criticized

9. On the Nature of Politics and Democracy

“A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married.”
— *The AmericanThe American Mercury

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10. On the American Spirit

“In the United States, doing what one’s own father did, as a rule, is not merely a matter of self-respect; it is a matter of honor.”
— *A Carnival of Buncombe