Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 3

• If you want to read a perfect book there is only one way: write it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Book, Writing, Perfect

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

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• Democracy is defended in 3 stages. Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Government, Democracy, Boxes

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• Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Country, Stupid, Power

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.230, 谷月社

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• Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hypocrisy, Manners, Etiquette

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.184, University of Georgia Press

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  Corporation: An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Inspirational, Sarcastic, Business

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “The Eyes of the Panther (Cryptofiction Classics - Weird Tales of Strange Creatures)”, p.20, Read Books Ltd

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• Marriage, n: the state or condition of a community consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves, making in all, two.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Anniversary, Romantic

  Devil's Dictionary (1911) p. 213

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• Education, n.: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Education, Wise, Wisdom

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 86

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• Strive not for singularity in dress; Fools have the more and men of sense the less. To look original is not worth while, But be in mind a little out of style.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Mind, Style

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “A Cynic Looks at Life”, p.38, Sheba Blake Publishing

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• The wife, or bitter half.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wife, Half, Bitter

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• Idiot - A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. The Idiot's activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action, but "pervades and regulates the whole." He has the last word in everything; his decision is unappealable. He sets the fashions and opinion of taste, dictates the limitations of speech and circumscribes conduct with a dead-line.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Fashion, Powerful, Decision

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.150, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• Optimism - the doctrine or belief that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Beauty, Beautiful, Attitude

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.175, University of Georgia Press

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• Academe, n.: An ancient school where morality and philosophy were taught. Academy, n.: A modern school where football is taught.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Inspirational, Graduation, Sports

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.10, University of Georgia Press

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• Friendship: A ship big enough for two in fair weather, but only one in foul.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Friendship, Funny Friend, Weather

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• I keep a conscience uncorrupted by religion, a judgment undimmed by politics and patriotism, a heart untainted by friendships and sentiments unsoured by animosities.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Fear, Heart, Atheism

  Ambrose Bierce, S. T. Joshi, David E. Schultz (1998). “A Sole Survivor: Bits of Autobiography”, p.177, Univ. of Tennessee Press

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• Hippogriff, n. An animal (now extinct) which was half horse and half griffin. The griffin was itself a compound creature, half lion and half eagle. The hippogriff was actually, therefore, only one-quarter eagle, which is two dollars and fifty cents in gold. The study of zoology is full of surprises.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Horse, Animal, Eagles

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.51, Courier Corporation

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• He who thinks with difficulty believes with alacrity. A fool is a natural proselyte, but he must be caught young, for his convictions, unlike those of the wise, harden with age.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wise, Believe, Thinking

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1216, Delphi Classics

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• Patience, n. A minor form of dispair, disguised as a virtue.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sarcastic, Patience, Virtue

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• The covers of this book are too far apart.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Witty, Humorous

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.3723, Delphi Classics

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• Scriptures - The sacred books of our holy religion, as distinguished from the false and profane writings on which all other faiths are based.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Book, Writing, Religion

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2513, Delphi Classics

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• Mad, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellectual independence.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sarcastic, Mad, Intellectual

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “The Devil's Dictionary (or The Cynic's Wordbook: Unabridged with all the Definitions)”, p.126, e-artnow

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• Knowledge is the small part of ignorance that we arrange and classify.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Ignorance, Knowledge, Small Parts

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• Absurdity, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Belief, Opinion, Absurdity

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.7, 谷月社

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• MAN, n. An animal so lost in rapturous contemplation of what he thinks he is as to overlook what he indubitably ought to be.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Animal, Men, Thinking

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.161, University of Georgia Press

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• Bacchus, n.: A convenient deity invented by the ancients as an excuse for getting drunk.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Wine, Drunk

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.17, 谷月社

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• You don't have to be stupid to be a Christian, ... but it probably helps.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Christian, Stupid, Helping

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