And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps. -H. L. Mencken

 

And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps.


Comments

There are not yet any comments on this quote. Why not register / login and be the first?



This quote is just one of 115 total H. L. Mencken quotes in our collection. H. L. Mencken is known for saying 'And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps.' as well as some of the following quotes.

The most common of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind.

H. L. Mencken
330

It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.

H. L. Mencken
329
Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. -H. L. Mencken
312

It is impossible to imagine Goethe or Beethoven being good at billiards or golf.

H. L. Mencken
311

Criticism is prejudice made plausible.

H. L. Mencken
309
All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it. -H. L. Mencken
307

There comes a time when a man must spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats.

H. L. Mencken
298