The way to deal with superstition is not to be polite to it, but to tackle it with all arms, and so rout it, cripple it, and make it forever infamous and ridiculous.
Interpretation
Superstition should be confronted decisively, not politely ignored.
H. L. Mencken emphasizes the importance of addressing superstition directly and aggressively rather than treating it with politeness or tolerance. He advocates for challenging such unfounded beliefs to diminish their influence and ultimately render them absurd in the eyes of society.
In practice
During a speech on critical thinking, one might reference this quote to emphasize the need for rigorous scrutiny of irrational beliefs.
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.
If a person's basic state of mind is serene and calm, then it is possible for this inner peace to overwhelm a painful physical experience. On the other hand, if someone is suffering from depression, anxiety, or any form of emotional distress, then even if he or she happens to be enjoying physical comforts, he will not really be able to experience the happiness that these could bring.
No verse is libre for the man who wants to do a good job.
We shall never be abandoned by Heaven while we act worthy of its aid and protection
There's enough sorrow in the world, isn't there, without trying to invent it.
Whoever refuses to remember the inhumanity is prone to new risks of infection.
Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves. I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and broken promises.
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