Perseverance - a lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
One who, professing virtues that he does not respect, secures the advantage of seeming to be what he despises. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
DEGRADATION, n. One of the stages of moral and social progress from private station to political preferment. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Epitaph: An inscription on a tomb showing that virtues acquired by death have a retroactive effect. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
“FIDELITY, n. A virtue peculiar to those who are about to be betrayed.” — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
UGLINESS, n. A gift of the gods to certain women, entailing virtue without humility. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
moral, adj. Conforming to a local and mutable standard of right. Having the quality of general expediency. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
SACRED, adj. Dedicated to some religious purpose; having a divine character; inspiring solemn thoughts or emotions; as... the Cow in India; the… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
The palmist looks at the wrinkles made by closing the hand and says they signify character. The philosopher reads character by what… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
PHYSIOGNOMY, n. The art of determining the character of another by the resemblances and differences between his face and our own, which… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
WIDOW, n. A pathetic figure that the Christian world has agreed to take humorously, although Christ's tenderness towards widows was one of… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
A popular character in old Italian plays, who imitated with ludicrous incompetence the "buffone", or clown, and was therefore the ape of… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
FORMA PAUPERIS. [Latin] In the character of a poor person - a method by which a litigant without money for lawyers is… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
WRATH, n. Anger of a superior quality and degree, appropriate to exalted characters and momentous occasions; as, "the wrath of God," "the… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
RIGHTEOUSNESS, n. A sturdy virtue that was once found among the Pantidoodles inhabiting the lower part of the peninsula of Oque. Some… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
PALMISTRY, n. The 947th method . . . of obtaining money by false pretences [by] "reading character" in the wrinkles [of] the… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
GOOSE, n. A bird that supplies quills for writing. These, by some occult process of nature, are penetrated and suffused with various… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Immoral: Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
ZANY, n. A popular character in old Italian plays, who imitated with ludicrous incompetence the _buffone_, or clown, and was therefore the… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
HYPOCRITE, n. One who, profession virtues that he does not respect secures the advantage of seeming to be what he depises. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
The partisan strife in which the people of the country are permitted to periodically engage does not tend to the development of… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
RUBBISH, n. Worthless matter, such as the religions, philosophies, literatures, arts and sciences of the tribes infesting the regions lying due south from Boreaplas. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
There was never a genius who was not thought a fool until he disclosed himself; whereas he is a fool then only. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
Jealous, adj. Unduly concerned about the preservation of that which can be lost only if not worth keeping. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
TARIFF, n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his consumer. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
A bad marriage is like an electrical thrilling machine: it makes you dance, but you can't let go. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share
![“FORMA PAUPERIS. [Latin] In the character of a poor person - a method by which a litigant without money for lawyers is considerately permitted to lose his case.” quote by Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/ambrose-bierce-140_cases_forma-pauperis-latin-in-the-character-of_2824857.jpg)
![“PALMISTRY, n. The 947th method . . . of obtaining money by false pretences [by] "reading character" in the wrinkles [of] the hand. The pretence is not altogether false. . . for the wrinkles in every hand submitted plainly spell the word "dupe."” quote by Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/ambrose-bierce-140_character_palmistry-n-the-947th-method-of-obtainin_2254020.jpg)
