--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men become civilized, not in proportion…" description: "\"Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in their readiness to doubt.\" — H. L. Mencken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/h-l-mencken-245_believe_men-become-civilized-not-in-proportion-t_2272984.png" --- # Men become civilized, not in proportion to their… ![“Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in their readiness to doubt.” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/h-l-mencken-245_believe_men-become-civilized-not-in-proportion-t_2272984.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/h-l-mencken-245_believe_men-become-civilized-not-in-proportion-t_2272984.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/h-l-mencken-245_believe_men-become-civilized-not-in-proportion-t_2272984.png) > “Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in their readiness to doubt.” [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civilization advances not by blind belief but by the willingness to question and doubt. **In simple terms:** Progress comes from doubt, not belief Key Takeaway Cultivate critical thinking and healthy skepticism Themes philosophy critical thinking progress Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - public discourse - scientific research - policy making - media consumption Key Concepts skepticism intellectual humility Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs do you accept without question? - How can doubt be turned into productive inquiry? A Different Perspective Doubt can lead to paralysis if not paired with constructive action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Questioning beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioning-beliefs/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-become-civilized-not-in-proportion-to-their-willingness-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“For men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt. The more stupid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/for-men-become-civilized-not-in-proportion-to-their-willingness-to/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [The most base of men can be civilized through suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/the-most-base-of-men-can-be-civilized-through-suffering/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [When passions and appetites are stronger than the intellect, men are savages; when the intellect governs the passions, when the passions are servants, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/when-passions-and-appetites-are-stronger-than-the-intellect-men-are/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Educated men - "civilized," as Fourier used to say with disdain - tremble at the idea that society might some day be without judges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kropotkin/educated-men-civilized-as-fourier-used-to-say-with-disdain-tremble-at/) [Peter Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kropotkin/) > [God picks you up. You don't pick yourself up. You're the one who knocked you down or even if somebody else knocked you down,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/god-picks-you-up-you-don-t-pick-yourself-up-you-re-the-one-who/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Recognizing the Savior's spiritual light begins with our willingness to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-whitney-clayton/recognizing-the-savior-s-spiritual-light-begins-with-our-willingness/) [L. Whitney Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-whitney-clayton/) > [Our willingness to believe the news is, in many cases, not entirely innocent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eula-biss/our-willingness-to-believe-the-news-is-in-many-cases-not-entirely/) [Eula Biss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eula-biss/) > [“Sometimes, impossibility isn't about defying reason, but simply lack of willingness to believe in otherwise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/sometimes-impossibility-isn-t-about-defying-reason-but-simply-lack-of/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I believe that the foundation of democratic liberty is a willingness to believe that other people may perhaps be wiser than oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-attlee/i-believe-that-the-foundation-of-democratic-liberty-is-a-willingness/) [Clement Attlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-attlee/) > [“#287. "...it's not the lies that hurt people. It's the willingness of everyone else to believe them."~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upon-a-midnight-clear-by-sherrilyn-kenyon/287-it-s-not-the-lies-that-hurt-people-it-s-the-willingness-of/) Upon A Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon > [“Human willingness to believe precedes their ability to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/human-willingness-to-believe-precedes-their-ability-to-think/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [A man receives only what he is ready to receive... The phenomenon or fact that cannot in any wise be linked with the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-receives-only-what-he-is-ready-to-receive-the-phenomenon-or/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/no-pessimist-ever-discovered-the-secrets-of-the-stars/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/fix-reason-firmly-in-her-seat-and-call-on-her-tribunal-for-every-fact/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by H. L. 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Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [So few men are really worth knowing, that it seems a shameful waste to let an anthropoid prejudice stand in the way of free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/so-few-men-are-really-worth-knowing-that-it-seems-a-shameful-waste-to/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Man's objection to love is that it dies hard; woman's, that when it is dead, it stays dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/man-s-objection-to-love-is-that-it-dies-hard-woman-s-that-when-it-is/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The lunatic fringe wags the underdog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-lunatic-fringe-wags-the-underdog/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Women have simple tastes. They get pleasure out of the conversation of children in arms and men in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/women-have-simple-tastes-they-get-pleasure-out-of-the-conversation-of/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The critic, to interpret his artist, even to understand his artist, must be able to get into the mind of his artist; he must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-critic-to-interpret-his-artist-even-to-understand-his-artist-must/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [There is, in fact, nothing about religious opinions that entitles them to any more respect than other opinions get. On the contrary, they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-nothing-about-religious-opinions-that-entitles-them/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Don't overestimate the decency of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/don-t-overestimate-the-decency-of-the-human-race/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Liberty ... was a two-headed boon. There was first, the liberty of the people as a whole to determine the forms of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/liberty-was-a-two-headed-boon-there-was-first-the-liberty-of-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [To the extent that I am genuinely educated, I am suspicious of all the things that the average citizen believes and the average pedagogue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/to-the-extent-that-i-am-genuinely-educated-i-am-suspicious-of-all-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Philosophy first constructs a scheme of happiness and then tries to fit the world to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/philosophy-first-constructs-a-scheme-of-happiness-and-then-tries-to/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [For it is the natural tendency of the ignorant to believe what is not true. In order to overcome that tendency it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-the-natural-tendency-of-the-ignorant-to-believe-what-is-not/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) [Explore all 827 H. L. Mencken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in their readiness to doubt.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. L. 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