---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That it should still be necessary, at…"
description: "\"That it should still be necessary, at this late stage in the senility of the human race to argue that women have a fine and fluent intelligence is sure..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/henry-louis-mencken-15675_human-race_that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-thi_1139870.jpg"
---

#  That it should still be necessary, at this late stage in…

![“That it should still be necessary, at this late stage in the senility of the human race to argue that women have a fine and fluent intelligence is surely an eloquent proof of the defective observation, incurable prejudice, and general imbecility of t.” quote by Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/henry-louis-mencken-15675_human-race_that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-thi_1139870.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/henry-louis-mencken-15675_human-race_that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-thi_1139870.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/henry-louis-mencken-15675_human-race_that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-thi_1139870.jpg)

> “That it should still be necessary, at this late stage in the senility of the human race to argue that women have a fine and fluent intelligence is surely an eloquent proof of the defective observation, incurable prejudice, and general imbecility of t.”

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Argues that needing to prove women's intelligence reveals society's deep prejudice and ignorance.

**In simple terms:** Proving women's intelligence shows societal bias.

Key Takeaway

Challenge assumptions about gender intelligence.

Themes

gender prejudice intelligence

Mood

critical analytical

Type

essay philosophical

When to use this quote

- education
- policy
- media representation

Key Concepts

feminism social critique bias

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we move beyond proving competence?
- What evidence counters this view?

A Different Perspective

The argument may overgeneralize men’s attitudes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/)

## Related quotes

> [That it should still be necessary, at this late stage in the senility of the human race to argue that women have a fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-this-late-stage-in-the-senility-2/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [If you look at women in sports, they generally have to be more qualified because it is kind of a man's world. Guys will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-cowherd/if-you-look-at-women-in-sports-they-generally-have-to-be-more/)

[Colin Cowherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-cowherd/)

> [It's better not to argue with women... When people push boundaries too far, it's not because they are strong but because they are weak.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/it-s-better-not-to-argue-with-women-when-people-push-boundaries-too/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [Punch a man on the nose, kick an old man downstairs, shoot somebody or any old thing like that, that’s my job. But argue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/punch-a-man-on-the-nose-kick-an-old-man-downstairs-shoot-somebody-or/)

[Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/)

> [It's better not to argue with women,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/it-s-better-not-to-argue-with-women/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [I see certain parallels between the debate over feminism where some women argue that women should not be forced to stay at home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-shapiro/i-see-certain-parallels-between-the-debate-over-feminism-where-some/)

[Ari Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-shapiro/)

> [You don't argue with a four-year old about why he shouldn't eat candy for dinner. You don't punch a mentally handicapped guy even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/you-don-t-argue-with-a-four-year-old-about-why-he-shouldn-t-eat-candy/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“Never argue with women because you will never win.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkosiyazi-shange/never-argue-with-women-because-you-will-never-win/)

[Nkosiyazi Shange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkosiyazi-shange/)

> [“Though he had both esteem and admiration for the sensibility of the human race, he had little respect for their intelligence: man has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/though-he-had-both-esteem-and-admiration-for-the-sensibility-of-the/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“It occurred to me that the death of his grazing land hurt him more, incomparably more than the death of the human race. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-heller/it-occurred-to-me-that-the-death-of-his-grazing-land-hurt-him-more/)

[Peter Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-heller/)

> [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/)

[Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/)

[Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/)

## More by Henry Louis Mencken

> [Good government is that which delivers the citizen from the risk of being done out of his life and property too arbitrarily and violently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/good-government-is-that-which-delivers-the-citizen-from-the-risk-of/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [The practical politician, as every connoisseur of ochlocracy knows, is not a man who seeks to inoculate the innumerable caravan of voters with new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/the-practical-politician-as-every-connoisseur-of-ochlocracy-knows-is/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [To be in love is merely to be in a perpetual state of anesthesia - to mistake an ordinary young man for a Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/to-be-in-love-is-merely-to-be-in-a-perpetual-state-of-anesthesia-to/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [“An enchanted life has many moments when the heart is overwhelmed with beauty and the imagination is electrified by some haunting quality in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/an-enchanted-life-has-many-moments-when-the-heart-is-overwhelmed-with/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Morality: The theory that every human act must either be right or wrong, and that 99% of them are wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/morality-the-theory-that-every-human-act-must-either-be-right-or/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [The Liberals have many tails, and chase them all](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/the-liberals-have-many-tails-and-chase-them-all/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Intelligence has been commoner among American Presidents than high character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/intelligence-has-been-commoner-among-american-presidents-than-high/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [The surest way to get on in politics in America is to play the leading part in a prosecution which attracts public notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/the-surest-way-to-get-on-in-politics-in-america-is-to-play-the/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Living with a dog is messy - like living with an idealist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/living-with-a-dog-is-messy-like-living-with-an-idealist/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Democratic man, as I have remarked, is quite unable to think of himself as a free individual; he must belong to a group, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/democratic-man-as-i-have-remarked-is-quite-unable-to-think-of-himself/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [He (the businessman) is the only man who is forever apologizing for his occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/he-the-businessman-is-the-only-man-who-is-forever-apologizing-for-his/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Human life is basically a comedy. Even its tragedies often seem comic to the spectator, and not infrequently they actually seem to have comic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/human-life-is-basically-a-comedy-even-its-tragedies-often-seem-comic/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Perhaps the most revolting character that the United States ever produced was the Christian business man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/perhaps-the-most-revolting-character-that-the-united-states-ever/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/government-is-a-broker-in-pillage-and-every-election-is-sort-of-an/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [Democracy is based upon so childish a complex of fallacies that they must be protected by a rigid system of taboos, else even half-wits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/democracy-is-based-upon-so-childish-a-complex-of-fallacies-that-they/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

[Explore all 41 Henry Louis Mencken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

## More Feminism quotes

> [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/)

[Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/)

[Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/)

> [Without meaning to sound anti-men, ghastly women are the closest you get to a male role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/without-meaning-to-sound-anti-men-ghastly-women-are-the-closest-you/)

[Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/)

> [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/)

Joseph Joffre

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“there was something of the women molded into the great, stalwart frame of Hollingsworth; nor was he ashamed of it; as men often are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-was-something-of-the-women-molded-into-the-great-stalwart-frame/)

[Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/)

> [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/)

[Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/)

> [“Bármilyen idiótának, aki azt kérdezi: „Feminista vagy? Akkor elégeted a melltartóidat, mi? HE? Melltartókat égetsz, te feminista?” – szép nyugodtan így kell válaszolni: „Ostoba.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/b-rmilyen-idi-t-nak-aki-azt-k-rdezi-feminista-vagy-akkor-el-geted-a/)

[Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/)

> [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/)

[Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/)

> [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/)

[Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

Yoram Wind

[Browse all 15,705 Feminism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "That it should still be necessary, at this late stage in the senility of the human race to argue that women have a fine and fluent intelligence is surely an eloquent proof of the defective observation, incurable prejudice, and general imbecility of t.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry Louis Mencken"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-this-late-stage-in-the-senility/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Feminism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-this-late-stage-in-the-senility/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/henry-louis-mencken-15675_human-race_that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-thi_1139870.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/henry-louis-mencken-15675_human-race_that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-thi_1139870.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/henry-louis-mencken-15675_human-race_that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-thi_1139870.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“That it should still be necessary, at this late stage in the senility of the human race to argue that women…” — Henry Louis Mencken",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Henry Louis Mencken",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "That it should still be necessary,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-this-late-stage-in-the-senility/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/that-it-should-still-be-necessary-at-this-late-stage-in-the-senility/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
