Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce.

Born	June 24, 1842 Meigs County, Ohio
Died	1914? Mexico

American writer and satirist. Best known for the short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (1890) and for The Devil's Dictionary (1906), a collection of satiric, witty, and sometimes biting definitions for common words. Disappeared in Mexico while following Pancho Villa's army.

The repository contains nine quotes from Ambrose Bierce.

Religion

Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.

Politics and Government

Conservative: A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others.

Friendship

Acquaintance: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to. A degree of friendship called slight when its object is poor or obscure, and intimate when he is rich or famous.

Leadership • Politics and Government

Abuse of power is the exercise of authority in a manner unpleasant to ourselves.

Men and Women

Here’s to woman! Would that we could fall into her arms without falling into her hands.

People

Abstainer: A weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure.

Religion

Pray: To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.

America and Patriotism

War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography.

Religion

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