Ambrose Bierce Quotes

Ambrose Bierce was an American journalist, satirist, and writer. He is known for his wit, his critical observations, and his short stories, including "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Bierce's writing style and his satirical commentary on social and political issues have made him a significant figure in American literature.

Destiny: A tyrant's authority for crime and a fool... -Ambrose Bierce

Destiny: A tyrant's authority for crime and a fool's excuse for failure.

Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother... -Ambrose Bierce

Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.

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

Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's... -Ambrose Bierce

Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.

Mad, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellect... -Ambrose Bierce

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

Insurance - an ingenious modern game of chance in which the player is permitted to enjoy the comfortable conviction that he is beating the man who keeps the table.

Heaven lies about us in our infancy and the world ... -Ambrose Bierce

Heaven lies about us in our infancy and the world begins lying about us pretty soon afterward.

Suffrage, noun. Expression of opinion by means of a ballot. The right of suffrage (which is held to be both a privilege and a duty) means, as commonly interpreted, the right to vote for the man of another man's choice, and is highly prized.

Doubt begins only at the last frontiers of what is... -Ambrose Bierce

Doubt begins only at the last frontiers of what is possible.

Cabbage: a familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about... -Ambrose Bierce

Cabbage: a familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and wise as a man's head.

Ability is commonly found to consist mainly in a h... -Ambrose Bierce

Ability is commonly found to consist mainly in a high degree of solemnity.

Spring beckons! All things to the call respond; th... -Ambrose Bierce

Spring beckons! All things to the call respond; the trees are leaving and cashiers abscond.

Doubt is the father of invention.

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.

Discovering the context

This quote humorously suggests that war can serve as a catalyst for learning geography, as it necessitates the knowledge and understanding of different regions and their strategic importance. It playfully comments on the potential educational aspects of warfare.

A man is known by the company he organizes.

Convent - a place of retirement for women who wish... -Ambrose Bierce

Convent - a place of retirement for women who wish for leisure to meditate upon the sin of idleness.

Historian - a broad-gauge gossip.

Optimism - the doctrine or belief that everything ... -Ambrose Bierce

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

Backbite. To speak of a man as you find him when h... -Ambrose Bierce

Backbite. To speak of a man as you find him when he can't find you.

Alliance - in international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.

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.

Consul - in American politics, a person who having failed to secure an office from the people is given one by the Administration on condition that he leave the country.

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

Lawsuit: A machine which you go into as a pig and ... -Ambrose Bierce

Lawsuit: A machine which you go into as a pig and come out of as a sausage.

Discovering the context

This quote humorously defines a lawsuit as a process that transforms individuals, likening the experience to being turned into sausage. It implies a perception that legal proceedings can be dehumanizing, transformative, or harsh, potentially reflecting a critical view of the litigation process.

What is a democrat? One who believes that the republicans have ruined the country. What is a republican? One who believes that the democrats would ruin the country.

Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.