“An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it is also more nourishing.”

—  H.L. Mencken

"A Few Pages of Notes," http://books.google.com/books?id=hXVHAAAAYAAJ&q=%22An+idealist+is+one+who+on+noticing+that+a+rose+smells+better+than+a+cabbage+concludes+that+it+is+also+more+nourishing%22&pg=PA435#v=onepage The Smart Set (January 1915); later published in A Little Book in C Major http://books.google.com/books?id=EAJbAAAAMAAJ&q=%22An+idealist+is+one+who+on+noticing+that+a+rose+smells+better+than+a+cabbage+concludes+that+it+is+also+more+nourishing%22&pg=PA19#v=onepage (1916)
1910s
Source: A Book of Burlesques

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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H.L. Mencken photo
H.L. Mencken 281
American journalist and writer 1880–1956

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