Ambrose Bierce quotes - page 32

Ambrose Bierce was an American writer, journalist, and satirist, best known for his wit and dark, sardonic style. His most famous works include “The Devil’s Dictionary” and a number of chilling short stories such as “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” He remains a mysterious figure due to his unexplained disappearance in Mexico. Here are 784 of his quotes:

RABBLE, n. In a republic, those who exercise a supreme authority tempered by fraudulent elections. The rabble is like the sacred Simurgh, of Arabian fable omnipotent on condition that it do nothing.

Ambrose Bierce

POSITIVISM, n. A philosophy that denies our knowledge of the Real and affirms our ignorance of the Apparent. Its longest exponent is Comte, its broadest Mill and its thickest Spencer.

Ambrose Bierce

PERIPATETIC, adj. Walking about. Relating to the philosophy of Aristotle, who, while expounding it, moved from place to place in order to avoid his pupil's objections. A needless precaution they knew no more of the matter than he.

Ambrose Bierce

PROOF-READER, n. A malefactor who atones for making your writing nonsense by permitting the compositor to make it unintelligible.

Ambrose Bierce

HYBRID, n. A pooled issue.

Ambrose Bierce

HABIT, n. A shackle for the free.

Ambrose Bierce

ZANY, n. A popular character in old Italian plays, who imitated with ludicrous incompetence the 'buffone', or clown, and was therefore the ape of an ape for the clown himself imitated the serious characters of the play.

Ambrose Bierce

Brain, n. An apparatus with which we think that we think... In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office.

Ambrose Bierce