Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.
H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) American writer and journalist [Henry Lewis Mencken]
“The Divine Afflatus,” New York Evening Mail (16 Nov 1917)
(Source)
Reprinted in Prejudices: Second Series (1920) and A Mencken Chrestomathy, ch. 25 (1949).
Variants:
- "There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat, plausible, and wrong."
- "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong."
Thank you for your useful site, I read the article “The Divine Afflatus,” on page 6, The Evening Mail (New York, 16 Nov 1917), but could not see the quote “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.” anywhere in the article 🙂
Hi, NB, thanks for the info. Hmmmm. I don’t have a copy of the source article, but a reprint of Prejudices: Second Series, which includes that essay does have the variant I mention:
That variant seems to be what is included all over the place, now that I look at it, which makes me think that’s the “true” quotation, and someone else mangled it to “simple, neat, and wrong” somewhere along the line.
I will make corrections at my first opportunity. Thanks again!
The second reference is almost correct, at least in the 1921 version of Prejudices: Second Series (available from https://archive.org/stream/prejudices030184mbp#page/n163/mode/2up) the quote is “…there is always a well-known solution to every human problem neat, plausible, and wrong.” (rather than “There is always an easy solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.”)
I have updated the quotation entry and the graphic. Thanks, NB!
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