Ambrose Bierce Quotes About Life

• Ambition. An overmastering desire to be vilified by enemies while living and made ridiculous by friends when dead.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Ambition, Reality

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 17

• LIFE, n. A spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay. We live in daily apprehension of its loss; yet when lost it is not missed.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Spiritual, Loss

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.150, University of Georgia Press

• Life - a spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Spiritual, Decay

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.126, 谷月社

• Love, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like caries and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more frequently to the physician than to the patient.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Simple, Temporary Insanity

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.155, University of Georgia Press

• PILLORY, n. A mechanical device for inflicting personal distinction - prototype of the modern newspaper conducted by persons of austere virtues and blameless lives.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Virtue, Modern

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.164, 谷月社

• FOLLY, n. That "gift and faculty divine" whose creative and controlling energy inspires Man's mind, guides his actions and adorns his life.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Men, Creative

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2400, Delphi Classics

• YOUTH, n. The Period of Possibility, when Archimedes finds a fulcrum, Cassandra has a following and seven cities compete for the honor of endowing a living Homer.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Cities, Honor

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.242, University of Georgia Press

• PHONOGRAPH, n. An irritating toy that restores life to dead noises.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Noise, Toys

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.93, Courier Corporation

• DUEL, n. A formal ceremony preliminary to reconciliation of two enemies. Great skill is necessary to its satisfactory observance; if awkwardly performed . . . deplorable consequences sometimes ensue. A long time ago a man lost his life.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Time, Men

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.60, University of Georgia Press

• WOMAN, n. An animal usually living in the vicinity of Man, and having a rudimentary susceptibility to domestication.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Women, Animal

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.239, University of Georgia Press

• PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Temptation, Add

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 24pt Edition”, p.106, ReadHowYouWant.com

• DIARY, n. A daily record of that part of one's life, which he can relate to himself without blushing.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Diaries, Records

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.45, 谷月社

• UNDERSTANDING, n. A cerebral secretion that enables one having it to know a house from a horse by the roof on the house. Its nature and laws have been exhaustively expounded by Locke, who rode a house, and Kant, who lived in a horse.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Nature, Horse

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2534, Delphi Classics

• OPERA, n. A play representing life in another world, whose inhabitants have no speech but song, no motions but gestures and no postures but attitudes.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Song, Attitude

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.174, University of Georgia Press

• CENTAUR, n. One of a race of persons who lived before the division of labor had been carried to such a pitch of differentiation, and who followed the primitive economic maxim, "Every man his own horse."

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Horse, Men

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.29, 谷月社

• SIREN, n. One of several musical prodigies famous for a vain attempt to dissuade Odysseus from a life on the ocean wave. Figuratively, any lady of splendid promise, dissembled purpose and disappointing performance.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Ocean, Musical

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.215, University of Georgia Press

• ORPHAN, n. A living person whom death has deprived of the power of filial ingratitude . . .

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Death, Power

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

• CALAMITY, n. A more than commonly plain and unmistakable reminder that the affairs of this life are not of our own ordering. Calamities are of two kinds: misfortune to ourselves, and good fortune to others.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Two, Kind

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.31, University of Georgia Press

• ROPE, n. An obsolescent appliance for reminding assassins that they too are mortal. It is put about the neck and remains in place one's whole life long.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Long, Rope

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2504, Delphi Classics

• NOBLEMAN, n. Nature's provision for wealthy American minds ambitious to incur social distinction and suffer high life.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Nature, Mind

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2467, Delphi Classics

• REDEMPTION, n. Deliverance of sinners from the penalty of their sin, through their murder of the deity against whom they sinned . . . . whoso believeth in it shall not perish, but have everlasting life in which to try to understand it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Understanding, Trying

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.194, University of Georgia Press

• RACK, n. An argumentative implement formerly much used in persuading devotees of a false faith to embrace the living truth. As a call to the unconverted the rack never had any particular efficacy, and is now held in light popular esteem.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Truth, Light

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.192, University of Georgia Press

• INCOMPATIBILITY, n. In matrimony a similarity of tastes, particularly the taste for domination. Incompatibility may, however, consist of a meek-eyed matron living just around the corner. It has even been known to wear a moustache.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Justice, May

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.125, University of Georgia Press

• Christian - One who follows the teachings of Christ insofar as they are not inconsistent with a life of sin.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, God, Christian

  Ambrose Bierce (2007). “Essential Bierce: A Selection of the Writings of Ambrose Bierce”, Heyday Books

• 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

  Life, Children, Two

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.34, University of Georgia Press

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