H. L. Mencken Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"To die for an idea: it is unquestionably noble.
But how much nobler it would be
if men died for ideas that were true."

by:	H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) American Journalist, Editor, Essayist, Linguist, Lexicographer, and Critic
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Categories:	Death, Deception, Honor, Patriotism, Propaganda, Truth, War
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Reader comments about this quote:

I would change the last word of this quote from "true" to "honorable".Then I would give it 4 stars. -- KS, Somewhere,USA
Noble, but still dead. Truth is whatever the government decides it is. -- Joe, Rochester, MI 3
A solemn truth. -- E Archer, NYC 2
If men only died for ideas that were true there would be no dieing for ideas for no one would be ready to die to oppose them. -- warren, olathe 2
I would prefer not to die for a mere idea or ideology at all whether true or not. If necessary I will risk life for something more substantial and absolute like our rights. -- Ken, Allyn, WA 4
-- Mike, Norwalk
Ken, I agree...but what are rights but ideas? Coming from Mencken, you would immediately have to question what he even means by what is true. After all, he seemed to prefer the government of Kaiser Wilhelm in autocratic Germany. And it is difficult to say exactly what he means by anything in a single quote since satire was his method of communication. -- Dana, Lincoln
Man's characteristic subjectivity to knowledge, ideology and religion are legacy of the Fall. Man is ordained to live for the Truth. Nobly, he can die for it. -- Patrick Henry, Red Hill
-- jim k, Austin
-- jim k, Austin

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