--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every normal man must be tempted at times…" description: "\"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throat.\" — H L Mencken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/h-l-mencken-3-46642_flag_every-normal-man-must-be-tempted-at-time_2217234.jpg" --- # Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his… ![“Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throat.” quote by H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/h-l-mencken-3-46642_flag_every-normal-man-must-be-tempted-at-time_2217234.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/h-l-mencken-3-46642_flag_every-normal-man-must-be-tempted-at-time_2217234.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/h-l-mencken-3-46642_flag_every-normal-man-must-be-tempted-at-time_2217234.jpg) > “Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throat.” [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People sometimes feel compelled to reject norms and act destructively. **In simple terms:** Temptation to rebel can be destructive. Key Takeaway Recognize and channel rebellious impulses constructively. Themes rebellion temptation human nature Mood cautious thoughtful Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - artistic expression - personal crises Key Concepts psychology social critique Questions to Reflect On - When does rebellion become harmful? - How can you redirect destructive urges into positive change? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flag/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/every-normal-man-must-be-tempted-at-times-to-spit-on-his-hands-hoist/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Is killing a known terrorist wrong? I ask this, did the terrorist allow any of his victims quarter? No, then allow him no quarter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-wallace/is-killing-a-known-terrorist-wrong-i-ask-this-did-the-terrorist-allow/) [T.R. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-wallace/) > [Sara held up a hand. 'How exactly did you "decline" his offer?' 'By slitting his throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/sara-held-up-a-hand-how-exactly-did-you-decline-his-offer-by-slitting/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [There comes a time in every man's life when he's consumed by the desire to spit on his palms, hoist the black flag and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-comes-a-time-in-every-man-s-life-when-he-s-consumed-by-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Is it hot in the rolling mill? Are the hours long? Is $15 a day not enough? Then escape is easy. Simply throw up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/is-it-hot-in-the-rolling-mill-are-the-hours-long-is-15-a-day-not/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The man who has never been tempted doesn't know how dishonest he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/the-man-who-has-never-been-tempted-doesn-t-know-how-dishonest-he-is/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Two men spit in their hands, help each other out, then laugh about it later. Just to be silly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/two-men-spit-in-their-hands-help-each-other-out-then-laugh-about-it/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [“It is a matter of persisting. At a certain point on his path the absurd man is tempted. History is not lacking in either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/it-is-a-matter-of-persisting-at-a-certain-point-on-his-path-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Perhaps a normal man is supposed to be stupid-how do we know? Perhaps it's even very beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/perhaps-a-normal-man-is-supposed-to-be-stupid-how-do-we-know-perhaps/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [It is my conviction that no normal man ever fell in love, within the ordinary meaning of the term, after the age of thirty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/it-is-my-conviction-that-no-normal-man-ever-fell-in-love-within-the/) [H. L. 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Society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/the-condition-of-alienation-of-being-asleep-of-being-unconscious-of/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) ## More by H L Mencken > [Love is the delusion that one man or woman differs from another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/love-is-the-delusion-that-one-man-or-woman-differs-from-another/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) > [“Character in decay is the theme of the great bulk of superior fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/character-in-decay-is-the-theme-of-the-great-bulk-of-superior-fiction/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) > [Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop. --H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/love-is-like-war-easy-to-begin-but-very-hard-to-stop-h-l-mencken/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) > [It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/it-is-even-harder-for-the-average-ape-to-believe-that-he-has/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) > [No one in this world has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/no-one-in-this-world-has-ever-lost-money-by-underestimating-the/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) > [The older I grew the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/the-older-i-grew-the-more-i-distrust-the-familiar-doctrine-that-age/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) > [To be in love is merely to be in a perpetual state of anesthesia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/to-be-in-love-is-merely-to-be-in-a-perpetual-state-of-anesthesia/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) [Explore all 8 H L Mencken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) ## More Flag quotes > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. 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