Two tin cans linked by a badly frayed string on a dark olive background.

Original artwork, not a still

H. L. Mencken

No man ever quite believes in any other man.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker claims that people always keep some reserve of doubt about one another, however close they seem. Even admiration or friendship stops short of complete belief. It is a cynical view of human trust, presented as a general truth rather than a rare failing.

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