Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

Quote by H L Mencken

Topics: H L Mencken Quotes

Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.

Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.

A church is a place in which gentlemen who have never been to heaven brag...

A church is a place in which gentlemen who have never been to heaven brag...

To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia -...

To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia -...

I confess I enjoy democracy immensely. It is incomparably idiotic, and hence incomparably amusing.

I confess I enjoy democracy immensely. It is incomparably idiotic, and hence incomparably amusing.

A society made up of individuals who were all capable of original thought would probably...

A society made up of individuals who were all capable of original thought would probably...

Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.

Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.

Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.

Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.

Opera in English is, in the main, just about as sensible as baseball in Italian.

Opera in English is, in the main, just about as sensible as baseball in Italian.

No man ever quite believes in any other man. One may believe in an idea...

No man ever quite believes in any other man. One may believe in an idea...

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both...

A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both...

Temptation is a woman's weapon and man's excuse.

Temptation is a woman's weapon and man's excuse.

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous...

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous...

A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.

A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.

A bad man is the sort who weeps every time he speaks of a good...

A bad man is the sort who weeps every time he speaks of a good...

Husbands never become good; they merely become proficient.

Husbands never become good; they merely become proficient.

Poetry has done enough when it charms, but prose must also convince.

Poetry has done enough when it charms, but prose must also convince.

Communism, like any other revealed religion, is largely made up of prophecies.

Communism, like any other revealed religion, is largely made up of prophecies.

Let's not burn the universities yet. After all, the damage they do might be worse.

Let's not burn the universities yet. After all, the damage they do might be worse.

Men have a much better time of it than women. For one thing, they marry...

Men have a much better time of it than women. For one thing, they marry...