10-14 Summary and Analysis

Quid Est Veritas?:

All modern religions, in order to "escape absurdity," have to be diluted with a bit of agnosticism. Only primitive religions profess to know God exactly and completely. The "perfect" religion would seem to then be purely agnostic, trusting absolutely but knowing nothing. Mencken here is clearly satirizing organized religion.

The Art Eternal:

The "quackery" of Freud has yielded one advantage: the notion that lying stems from an unconscious place, and that lying is inevitable, uncontrollable, and not one's fault. This makes sense, as the great majority of people are not happy with their lot in life or their destiny, and will lie to themselves and to everyone else as a way to make their wished-for lives true. No one would willingly reveal their true character, even to their wives, for the "truth" is mean, imbecilic, and uninteresting.

Lying...