Quotes by H. L. Mencken

Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.

There are men so philosophical that they can see humor in their own toothaches. But there has never lived a man so philosophical that he could see the toothache in his own humor.

It is not materialism that is the chief curse of the world, as pastors teach, but idealism. Men get into trouble by taking their visions and hallucinations too seriously.

Honor is simply the morality of superior men.

Whenever a husband and wife begin to discuss their marriage they are giving evidence at a coroner’s inquest.

Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution?

Whenever you hear a man speak of his love for his country, it is a sign that he expects to be paid for it.

Adultery is the application of democracy to love.

A man always remembers his first love with special tenderness, but after that he begins to bunch them.

To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia – to mistake an ordinary young woman for a goddess.