A man's women folk, whatever their outward show of respect for his merit and authority, always regard him secretly as an ass, and with something akin to pity.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that no matter how much respect a man receives from the women in his life, they often secretly hold a lower opinion of him.
H. L. Mencken's quote reflects a cynical view of gender dynamics, proposing that women may outwardly show respect for a man's achievements and position but harbor a deeper, unspoken judgment of him. This perspective implies that a man's ego may be bolstered by societal respect, yet the women closest to him see flaws or incompetencies that others might overlook, leading to a complex and sometimes pitying relationship. It invites reflection on how perceptions can differ between genders and the underlying truths often masked by polite appearances.
In practice
In a discussion about gender roles during a workplace seminar.
I know a good many men of great learning-that is, men born with an extraordinary eagerness and capacity to acquire knowledge. One and all, they tell me that they can't recall learning anything of any value in school. All that schoolmasters managed to accomplish with them was to test and determine the amount of knowledge that they had already acquired independently-and not infrequently the determination was made clumsily and inaccurately.
It takes a long while for a naturally trustful person to reconcile himself to the idea that after all God will not help him
It is the theory of all modern civilized governments that they protect and foster the liberty of the citizen; it is the practice of all of them to limit its exercise, and sometimes very narrowly.
The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.
The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy.
It is my conviction that no normal man ever fell in love, within the ordinary meaning of the term, after the age of thirty.
When we love and respect people, revealing to them their value, they can begin to come out from behind the walls that protect them.
As much progress as we think we've made with legislation, litigation and education, anti-Semitism still continues to be the No. 2 hate crime in the United States. You can't eliminate it, but you can try to keep a lid on it.
Sir,"she said,"you are no gentleman!" An apt observation,"he answered airily."And, you, Miss, are no lady.
The moment someone asks you to do something you don't have the time or inclination to do is fraught with vulnerability.
Even as a feminist, my whole life I'd been waiting for a man to love who could love me. For decades, I'd thought that man would be my father. When I was 25, I met that man, and he was my brother.
It is no use trying to sum people up. One must follow hints, not exactly what is said, nor yet entirely what is done.
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