Ambrose Bierce Quotes

• God alone knows the future, but only an historian can alter the past.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Past, History, Historian

  7 Copy quote

• Acquaintance. A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Friendship, Enough, Acquaintance

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 12

  15 Copy quote

• A nation that will not enforce its laws has no claim to the respect and allegiance of its people.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Law, People, Claims

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2272, Delphi Classics

  15 Copy quote

• Democracy is four wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Gun, Lunch, Democracies Have

  96 Copy quote

• An election is nothing more than the advanced auction of stolen goods.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Deception, Auctions, Election

  7 Copy quote

• Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Inspirational, Cute, Sad

  311 Copy quote
• 

  Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Political Will, Greed, Nerd

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.271, ReadHowYouWant.com

  91 Copy quote
• 

  Idiot, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Powerful, Hatred, Tribes

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.128, ReadHowYouWant.com

  39 Copy quote

• Happiness is lost by criticizing it; sorrow by accepting it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sorrow, Accepting, Lost

  "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce". Book by Ambrose Bierce, 1911.

  7 Copy quote

• diplomacy, n.: The patriotic art of lying for one's country.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sarcastic, Country, Art

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.47, 谷月社

  15 Copy quote

• There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don't know.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Learning, Science, Old Things

  “FBI revisiting Clinton emails just latest in long history of 'October Surprises“ by Chad Pergram, www.foxnews.com. October 29, 2016.

  21 Copy quote

• Friendless. Having no favors to bestow. Destitute of fortune. Addicted to utterance of truth and common sense.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Truth, Common Sense, Utterance

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.90, University of Georgia Press

  22 Copy quote

• War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Peace, Military

  98 Copy quote

• All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Insanity, Philosopher, Delusional

  14 Copy quote

• Be as decent as you can. Don't believe without evidence. Treat things divine with marked respect — don't have anything to do with them. Do not trust humanity without collateral security; it will play you some scurvy trick. Remember that it hurts no one to be treated as an enemy entitled to respect until he shall prove himself a friend worthy of affection. Cultivate a taste for distasteful truths. And, finally, most important of all, endeavor to see things as they are, not as they ought to be.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hurt, Believe, Play

  Ambrose Bierce, S. T. Joshi (2000). “The Collected Fables of Ambrose Bierce”, p.15, Ohio State University Press

  23 Copy quote

• Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Inspirational, Money, Math

  44 Copy quote

• Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Distance, Technology, Devil

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.225, University of Georgia Press

  12 Copy quote

• Conversation, n.: A vocal competition in which the one who is catching his breath is called the listener.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Competition, Conversation, Catching

  9 Copy quote

• In each human heart are a tiger, a pig, an ass and a nightingale. Diversity of character is due to their unequal activity.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Integrity, Heart

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.68, University of Georgia Press

  10 Copy quote

• The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Dog, Humor

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.13, University of Georgia Press

  102 Copy quote

• Conservative, n: A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal who wishes to replace them with others.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Evil, Political, Wish

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 56

  61 Copy quote

• Money. A blessing that is of no advantage to us excepting when we part with it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Money, Blessing, Wealth

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.146, 谷月社

  8 Copy quote

• A popular author is one who writes what the people think. Genius invites them to think something else.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Writing, Thinking, People

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 8 Epigrams, On With the Dance, Negligible Tales”, p.249, tredition

  5 Copy quote

• Happiness has not to all the same name: to Youth she is known as the Future; Age knows her as the Dream.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Happiness, Dream, Names

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2691, Delphi Classics

  4 Copy quote

• We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Attitude, Majority, Posture

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2692, Delphi Classics

  9 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

Edgar Allan Poe

Mark Twain

Stephen Crane

Algernon Blackwood

H. P. Lovecraft

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Arthur Machen

Sarah Orne Jewett