Three pink stepping stones cross a shallow blue bowl of water beneath a small white paper bird.

Original artwork, not a still

H. L. Mencken

Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The quip treats love as a victory of imagination over reasoning. Romantic feeling is presented as something that can outrun a sober assessment of reality. Its balanced phrasing gives this sceptical view a playful tone, suggesting that love's power depends partly on what people picture or hope for.

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