Idea Quote by H. L. Mencken
“Platitude: an idea (a) that is admitted to be true by everyone, and (b) that is not true.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The American Language, 1919
A platitude is a universally accepted claim that is actually false.
In simple terms: Widely accepted falsehoods.
Key Takeaway
Question accepted truths.
Themes
critical thinking
truth
social norms
communication
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- advertising slogans
- social media trends
- education curricula
Key Concepts
philosophy
logic
media studies
Questions to Reflect On
- What common belief might be a platitude?
- How can you test its truth?
A Different Perspective
People may accept platitudes without scrutiny.
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
