“Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”

— H.L. Mencken

Sententiæ: The Citizen and the State, p. 624
1940s–present, A Mencken Chrestomathy (1949)
Source: A Mencken Chrestomathy

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Oct. 29, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." by H.L. Mencken?

H.L. Mencken281

American journalist and writer 1880–1956

Related quotes

“But these days
Of visible poetry have long been past!—
No fear that the young hunter may profane
The haunt of some immortal;”

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838) English poet and novelist

The Vow of the Peacock (1835)

“The Shell

The sea fills my ear
with sand and with fear.

You may wash out the sand,
but never the sound
of the ghost of the sea
that is haunting me.”

Ted Hughes (1930–1998) English poet and children's writer

Source: The Mermaid's Purse: poems by Ted Hughes

“I think that happiness resides somewhere between the extremes of personal, religious, and political. I think happiness resides where we understand someone else's point of view and needs. Happiness resides where we are not lost in the solitary dream.”

Roger Waters (1943) English songwriter, bassist, and lyricist of Pink Floyd

November 2005[citation needed]
Philosophy

“We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.”

Justin Cronin The Passage

Source: The Passage

“Engaging in complexity is a key to simplicity. Fear of it will haunt your inner recesses.”

David Allen (1945) American productivity consultant and author

12 November 2011 https://twitter.com/gtdguy/status/135526192148267009 <br class="br"> Official Twitter profile (@gtdguy) https://twitter.com/gtdguy

“But the world turns, and even legends change; and somewhere there is a border, and sometime, perhaps, someone will decide to cross it, however well guarded its thorns may be.”

Robin McKinley (1952) American fantasy writer

Source: The Door in the Hedge

“If you die you’re completely happy and your soul somewhere lives on. I’m not afraid of dying. Total peace after death, becoming someone else is the best hope I’ve got.”

Kurt Cobain (1967–1994) American musician and artist

“If I fear anything, I fear the atmosphere of the war, the power which it gives to all the things I hate — the newspapers, the politicians, the puritans, the scoutmasters, the middle-aged merciless spinsters.”

Christopher Isherwood (1904–1986) English novelist

Diary entry, 20 January 1940, from The Diaries of Christopher Isherwood, vol I: 1939 - 1960, edited by Katherine Bucknell, p. 84<!-- >
Context: If I fear anything, I fear the atmosphere of the war, the power which it gives to all the things I hate — the newspapers, the politicians, the puritans, the scoutmasters, the middle-aged merciless spinsters. I fear the way I might behave, if I were exposed to this atmosphere. I shrink from the duty of opposition. I am afraid I should be reduced to a chattering enraged monkey, screaming back hate at their hate.

“Somewhere there's a happy harbor
far from the storm.
Out where the sun shines there is someone
I'm meant to adore,
and I know the day I find her,
I'll smile once more.”

Burt Bacharach (1928) American pianist, composer and music producer

Song Nikki

“Something did happen to me somewhere that robbed me of confidence and courage and left me with a fear of discovery and change and a positive dread of everything unknown that may occur.”

Joseph Heller book Something Happened

Source: Something Happened

“Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

H.L. Mencken281

Related quotes

Related topics