Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956) was one of the greatest journalists, essayists, and cultural cititics of the 20th Century. Here are some of the best quotes by H.L. Mencken, along with their sources:
1. **”For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”***Source:* Often attributed to Mencken; appears in various writings but exact origin is uncertain.
2. **”The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.”***Source:* *The American Mercury*, 1926.
3. **”Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”***Source:* *Notes on Democracy*, 1926.
4. **”Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”***Source:* Attributed in various works; exact source uncertain but reflects Mencken’s critiques of morality.
5. **”No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”***Source:* *The American Mercury*, 1920s.
6. **”Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public.”***Source:* Similar in theme to above; from Mencken’s critiques of popular culture.
7. **”The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”***Source:* *In Defense of Women*, 1918.
8. **”On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”***Source:* *The American Mercury*, 1920.
9. **”The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule it.”***Source:* From Mencken’s commentary on social movements, particularly in *The American Mercury*.
10. **”In every man under thirty there is a lawless anarchist, and in every man over thirty there is a conformist coward.”***Source:* From Mencken’s *A Mencken Chrestomathy* (1949).
11. “An idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous.”— Source: From Mencken’s writings on social criticism and human nature.
12. **”It is the dull man who is always sure, and the sure man who is always dull.”***Source:* From *The American Mercury*, December 1925.
13. **”The education of a man is never completed until he dies.”***Source:* Paraphrased from Mencken’s writings on education and lifelong learning.
14. **”Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.”***Source:* From *The American Mercury*, 1925.
These quotes showcase Mencken’s sharp wit and often cynical view of politics, society, and human nature. For full context, many are found in his essays and articles published primarily in *The American Mercury* magazine during the 1920s.
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