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Meaning
This reads as a wry picture of human thought as indirect and self-defeating. The mind is shown as moving with effort toward what it wants, yet often missing the target, which lands in moments when people overthink a simple choice and keep circling instead of deciding.
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Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
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About H. L. Mencken
American journalist, essayist, satirist, and cultural critic
H. L. Mencken was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He wrote in the early twentieth century and became known for sharp, combative prose and commentary. Mencken wrote widely on literature, music, prominent politicians, and the cultural movements of his day. His satirical coverage of the Scopes trial, which he called the "Monkey Trial," brought him wider notice. The word Menckenian entered dictionaries as a label for things associated with him, including his rhetorical style.
More from H. L. Mencken (150 quotes) →Other sayings from H. L. Mencken
- “Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses.”H. L. Mencken
- “The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.”H. L. Mencken
- “It is impossible to imagine Goethe or Beethoven being good at billiards or golf.”H. L. Mencken
- “A professor must have a theory as a dog must have fleas.”H. L. Mencken
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Books by H. L. Mencken
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1919