Author

Ambrose Bierce

81 quotes Popular first.

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“Painting, n.: The art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather, and exposing them to the critic.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“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
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“Beauty, n: the power by which a woman charms a lover and terrifies a husband.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them up.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Prescription: A physician's guess at what will best prolong the situation with least harm to the patient.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Corporation: An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“The gambling known as business looks with austere disfavor upon the business known as gambling.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Revolution, n. In politics, an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“It is evident that skepticism, while it makes no actual change in man, always makes him feel better.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Education, n.: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Learning, n. The kind of ignorance distinguishing the studious.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Experience - the wisdom that enables us to recognise in an undesirable old acquaintance the folly that we have already embraced.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Enthusiasm - a distemper of youth, curable by small doses of repentance in connection with outward applications of experience.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms agains himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Destiny: A tyrant's authority for crime and a fool's excuse for failure.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Doubt, indulged and cherished, is in danger of becoming denial but if honest, and bent on thorough investigation, it may soon lead to full establishment of the truth.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Friendless. Having no favors to bestow. Destitute of fortune. Addicted to utterance of truth and common sense.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Childhood: the period of human life intermediate between the idiocy of infancy and the folly of youth - two removes from the sin of manhood and three from the remorse of age.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Mayonnaise: One of the sauces which serve the French in place of a state religion.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Land: A part of the earth's surface, considered as property. The theory that land is property subject to private ownership and control is the foundation of modern society, and is eminently worthy of the superstructure.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Success is the one unpardonable sin against our fellows.”— Ambrose Bierce
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“Perseverance - a lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success.”— Ambrose Bierce