Believe Quote by H. L. Mencken
“The most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The American Language", 1919
People often cling to false beliefs with intense passion, making it a common human folly.
In simple terms: Passionate belief in falsehoods is a common mistake.
Key Takeaway
Question your convictions and seek evidence.
Themes
belief
error
human nature
Mood
skeptical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- political debate
- scientific research
- personal decisions
- media consumption
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
self‑deception
Questions to Reflect On
- What beliefs do you hold without proof?
- How do emotions shape your judgments?
A Different Perspective
Strong emotions can sometimes protect useful social cohesion.
![“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)
