Average Quote by H. L. Mencken
“The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he thinks it is true because he gets pleasure out of it.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The American Language, 1919
People enjoy ideas more when they believe them true, and they enjoy the belief because the idea feels satisfying, creating a circular reinforcement.
In simple terms: Ideas feel good when believed true, and belief feels good because of the idea.
Key Takeaway
Question your assumptions about why you like something.
Themes
belief
pleasure
psychology
Mood
skeptical
introspective
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- political ideology
- marketing slogans
- personal convictions
- media narratives
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
self‑justification
Questions to Reflect On
- What ideas do you favor without evidence?
- How does belief shape enjoyment?
A Different Perspective
Pleasure can stem from bias, not objective truth.
![“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)
