--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is only one justification for…" description: "\"There is only one justification for having sinned, and that is to be glad of it.\" — H. L. Mencken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/h-l-mencken-245_glad_there-is-only-one-justification-for-havi_1493033.png" --- # There is only one justification for having sinned, and… ![“There is only one justification for having sinned, and that is to be glad of it.” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/h-l-mencken-245_glad_there-is-only-one-justification-for-havi_1493033.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/h-l-mencken-245_glad_there-is-only-one-justification-for-havi_1493033.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/h-l-mencken-245_glad_there-is-only-one-justification-for-havi_1493033.png) > “There is only one justification for having sinned, and that is to be glad of it.” [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. Sin is justified only if one can find joy in it, highlighting a paradox of moral rationalization. **In simple terms:** Joy can excuse wrongdoing. Key Takeaway Examine the moral cost of rationalizing sin. Themes ethics psychology paradox Mood provocative skeptical Type philosophical satirical When to use this quote - personal confession - literary analysis - therapy sessions Key Concepts moral philosophy cognitive dissonance hedonism Questions to Reflect On - Can joy ever truly justify harm? - What are healthier ways to find meaning? A Different Perspective Joy may not truly absolve guilt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Glad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glad/) [Having Sinned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-sinned-867906/) [Justification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification/) [Justification Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification-having-5458662/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sinned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinned/) [Sinned Glad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinned-glad-5458661/) ## Related quotes > [He who repents of having sinned is almost innocent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/he-who-repents-of-having-sinned-is-almost-innocent/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [There is no justification for having an affair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanola-hampton/there-is-no-justification-for-having-an-affair/) [Shanola Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanola-hampton/) > [“It is to God you answer, not to men. The shame of having your sin known to the world, should be as nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/it-is-to-god-you-answer-not-to-men-the-shame-of-having-your-sin-known/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [Justified means just as if you've never sinned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/justified-means-just-as-if-you-ve-never-sinned/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [You're never so bad you can't have a Savior, no matter how much you've sinned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kimmel/you-re-never-so-bad-you-can-t-have-a-savior-no-matter-how-much-you-ve/) [Tim Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kimmel/) > [We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So when we are in the mess, remember Jesus made it right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jud-wilhite/we-have-all-sinned-and-fall-short-of-the-glory-of-god-so-when-we-are/) [Jud Wilhite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jud-wilhite/) > [If we consider how greatly he has sinned against the masses in the course of the centuries, how he has squeezed and sucked the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/if-we-consider-how-greatly-he-has-sinned-against-the-masses-in-the/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/for-if-god-did-not-spare-angels-when-they-sinned-but-cast-them-into/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [I have sinned against you, my Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-swaggart/i-have-sinned-against-you-my-lord/) [Jimmy Swaggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-swaggart/) > [“I'm blessed, for I have sinned with the best damned fuck in the universe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-ridgway/i-m-blessed-for-i-have-sinned-with-the-best-damned-fuck-in-the/) [Christie Ridgway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-ridgway/) > [Christianity teaches that when man sinned, God opted for forgiveness rather than fairness. He opted for grace and mercy rather than justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/christianity-teaches-that-when-man-sinned-god-opted-for-forgiveness/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [No matter how much you've sinned, no matter how much you've stumbled, no matter how much you fall, no matter how far you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/no-matter-how-much-you-ve-sinned-no-matter-how-much-you-ve-stumbled/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [“the pair of us were inextricably linked together. We must have sinned against each other in a previous existence, so that each of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jia-pingwa/the-pair-of-us-were-inextricably-linked-together-we-must-have-sinned/) [Jia Pingwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jia-pingwa/) > [You can rake the muck this way, rake the muck that way-- it will always be muck. Have I sinned or have I not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/you-can-rake-the-muck-this-way-rake-the-muck-that-way-it-will-always/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [“Father forgive me for I have sinned. -Damian”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-j-tomasi/father-forgive-me-for-i-have-sinned-damian/) [Peter J. Tomasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-j-tomasi/) ## More by H. L. Mencken > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A bad artist almost always tries to conceal his incompetence by whooping up a new formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-bad-artist-almost-always-tries-to-conceal-his-incompetence-by/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. 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 Glad quotes > [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [Even if we can't be together in the end. I'm glad that you were part of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/even-if-we-can-t-be-together-in-the-end-i-m-glad-that-you-were-part/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [I am glad The Worst Journey is coming out in Penguins: after all it is largely about penguins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apsley-cherry-garrard/i-am-glad-the-worst-journey-is-coming-out-in-penguins-after-all-it-is/) [Apsley Cherry-Garrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apsley-cherry-garrard/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The happy ending is hardly important, though we may be glad its there. The real joy is knowing that if you felt the trouble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/the-happy-ending-is-hardly-important-though-we-may-be-glad-its-there/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [It doesn't matter where you go in life, what you do or how much you have. It's who you have beside you... I'm so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-go-in-life-what-you-do-or-how-much-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, Thou art the present portion of Thy people, favour us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-o-sweet-lord-jesus-thou-art-the-present-portion-of-thy-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm glad I'm blind and can't see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/i-m-glad-i-m-blind-and-can-t-see-it/) [Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/) > [ Sexy for me is a curvy woman - doesn't have to be skinny, which I hate anyway. I'm glad \[the fashion industry\] is changing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-klum/sexy-for-me-is-a-curvy-woman-doesn-t-have-to-be-skinny-which-i-hate/) [Heidi Klum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-klum/) > [I teach my children that in life, there is no control of what tomorrow is going to bring. There really isn't. But in whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-winans/i-teach-my-children-that-in-life-there-is-no-control-of-what-tomorrow/) [BeBe Winans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-winans/) > [I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails under which laborers can strike when they want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-am-glad-to-see-that-a-system-of-labor-prevails-under-which-laborers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [All the earth is at rest and is quiet: they are bursting into song. Even the trees of the wood are glad over you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah/all-the-earth-is-at-rest-and-is-quiet-they-are-bursting-into-song/) [Isaiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah/) [Browse all 2,272 Glad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is only one justification for having sinned, and that is to be glad of it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. L. 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