Quotable Quotes: H. L. Mencken
by Miki SaxonI love words; I love putting them together to express my thoughts and I love how others do the same; especially when they do it with the skill and flair of H. L. Mencken. I like Mencken because he is the best type of cynic and also has a wonderful flair for irreverence.
Let’s start with his definition of a cynic, “A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.” That’s Mencken, pithy and to the point.
He also offers a wonderful explanation of criticism, one that bosses and parents would do well to consider, “Criticism is prejudice made plausible.”
Mencken said “A society made up of individuals who were all capable of original thought would probably be unendurable.” It makes you wonder what he would think of Twitter and its ilk.
His commentary on business success is certainly proven daily, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.”
The next time you hear someone say they’ll “fix it, no problem” you would do well to remember this immutable Menckenism, “There is always an easy solution to every problem – neat, plausible, and wrong.”
Finally, in a salute to himself, Mencken declares, “All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it.”
Join me next week for a tour of Mencken’s irreverent view of politics and democracy that will provide great zingers for holiday get-togethers and leave you chuckling.
Image credit: Wikipedia
December 13th, 2011 at 7:02 am
I am looking forward to next week to read more. I quite enjoyed this today!
December 13th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Thanks, Julie. I do like Mencken’s acerbic wit. And if you liked today, you will love him on politics.