"In every American there is an air of incorrigible innocence, which seems to conceal a diabolical cunning"

A. E. Housman's observation explores the complex duality in American character. On the surface, Americans are often perceived as possessing an “incorrigible innocence”, an enduring naïveté or genuine openness that can border on idealism. This innocence manifests in the country’s repeated pursuit of new beginnings, boundless optimism, and a persistent belief in possibilities and self-reinvention. Historically, this has shown itself in how Americans approach innovation, governance, and cultural exchange, displaying a willingness to trust, take risks, and dream.

Beneath this appearance of innocence, however, Housman detects “a diabolical cunning”, a shrewd, even manipulative intelligence. Concealed beneath outward guilelessness is an ability for keen calculation and the pursuit of self-interest. This cunning might emerge in economic ambition, expansionist policies, or the subtleties of American diplomacy. The duality is fascinating; Americans may act with apparent sincerity, asking for trust or forgiveness as if genuinely unaware of causing harm, while all the while advancing their own aims with remarkable effectiveness.

The interplay of innocence and cunning may not be mere hypocrisy but the result of national mythology and frontier mentality, in which earnest belief in progress and rightness coexists with ruthless competition and clever adaptation. On a personal level, Americans often take pride in straightforwardness and honesty, but these virtues sit alongside an ingrained talent for negotiation and game-playing. The innocence Housman identifies need not be false; it is simply intertwined with a practical awareness of how the world works. Similarly, the cunning described is neither wholly malicious nor transparent, it is subtle, adaptive, and often masked by charm.

Ultimately, Housman’s remark expounds on an inherent paradox in American identity: the capacity to believe fully in one’s noblest intentions while enacting shrewd, effective strategies to achieve ambitious ends. This dual nature, both earnest and calculating, has shaped the nation’s history, global reputation, and ongoing cultural narrative.