We are, in fact, a nation of evangelists; every third American devotes himself to improving and lifting up his fellow-citizens, usually by force; the messianic delusion is our national disease.-- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
Prejudices: First Series, I: Criticism of Criticism of Criticism
Most of us, including me, believe that we have the best way of doing things--the best way of acting, the best way of thinking--and forget the most important last two words--FOR ME. Your way may be different than mine, and if it works, great. However, don't try to improve my life by trying to force it on me.
i read a lot of Mencken when young; and became a bit iconoclastic as a result... but i do look at things from a rather mechanical pov; if someone shows me a better way, i'm glad to adopt it... but i haven't seen a lot of that in my life, except in working on cars and compressors(when i worked for the gas company, i was in charge of a field full of them and it kept me busy, replacing valves and rebuilding engines...)
ReplyDeleteMudpuddle, I don't think Mencken was talking about working on cars.
DeleteThere is much truth to this. I heard a definition of liberalism the other day that defined it as living in a way that one thinks proper but leaving others alone to make their own decisions. I think that is s good way to be.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's old-school liberalism...these days both parties like to do all the deciding for other people.
DeleteBrian, I encountered Liberals who are as meddlesome as Conservatives. I think the disease Mencken speaks of crosses gender, religious, political boundaries.
DeleteStephen, I have noticed that also. It's national disease.
DeleteEveryday the news includes a story about the fallibility of someone who has the presumption to know better than the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteJames, Yup, and I wait in vain to hear them admit they were wrong.
DeleteR.T., I wonder if Mencken got it from Voltaire. The two comments are very close in spirit.
ReplyDelete