The cynics are right nine times out of ten.

Quote by H L Mencken

Topics: H L Mencken Quotes

Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.

Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.

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

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

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to...

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to...

Women always excel men in that sort of wisdom which comes from experience. To be...

Women always excel men in that sort of wisdom which comes from experience. To be...

Archbishop - A Christian ecclesiastic of a rank superior to that attained by Christ.

Archbishop - A Christian ecclesiastic of a rank superior to that attained by Christ.

Judge: a law student who marks his own examination-papers.

Judge: a law student who marks his own examination-papers.

Morality is the theory that every human act must be either right or wrong, and...

Morality is the theory that every human act must be either right or wrong, and...

In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one.

In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one.

The truth that survives is simply the lie that is pleasantest to believe.

The truth that survives is simply the lie that is pleasantest to believe.

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 cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.

A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.

For it is mutual trust, even more than mutual interest that holds human associations together....

For it is mutual trust, even more than mutual interest that holds human associations together....

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.

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

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

Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what sting is justice.

Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what sting is justice.

Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone might be looking.

Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone might be looking.

War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums...

War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums...

The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it...

The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it...

Love changes darkness into light and makes the heart take a wingless flight.

Love changes darkness into light and makes the heart take a wingless flight.

Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering...

Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering...

It is only a poor sort of happiness that could ever come by caring very...

It is only a poor sort of happiness that could ever come by caring very...