Who said “The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he…”?

Verified

H. L. Mencken. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceDamn! A Book of Calumny (1918), XL. The Root of Religion

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“The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he thinks it is true because he gets pleasure out of it.”
— H. L. Mencken
VerifiedDamn! A Book of Calumny (1918), XL. The Root of Religion · evidencePleasure

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Damn! A Book of Calumny (1918), XL. The Root of Religion.

APA

Mencken, H. L. (n.d.). The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he thinks it is true because he gets pleasure out of it. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32704-the-average-man-does-not-get-pleasure-out/

MLA

Mencken, H. L. “The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he thinks it is true because he gets pleasure out of it.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32704-the-average-man-does-not-get-pleasure-out/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Mencken, H. L. “The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he thinks it is true because he gets pleasure out of it.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32704-the-average-man-does-not-get-pleasure-out/.

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