Convictions are variable; to be always consistent is to be sometimes dishonest. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Absurdity: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
RUIN, v. To destroy. Specifically, to destroy a maid's belief in the virtue of maids. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
UNIVERSALIST, n. One who forgoes the advantage of a Hell for persons of another faith. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Optimism - the doctrine or belief that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
THEOSOPHY, n. An ancient faith having all the certitude of religion and all the mystery of science. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
LECTURER, n. One with his hand in your pocket, his tongue in your ear and his faith in your patience. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
BEG, v. To ask for something with an earnestness proportioned to the belief that it will not be given. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
DELUSION, n. The father of a most respectable family, comprising Enthusiasm, Affection, Self-denial, Faith, Hope, Charity and many other goodly sons and… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Insurance - an ingenious modern game of chance in which the player is permitted to enjoy the comfortable conviction that he is… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
REPENTANCE, n. The faithful attendant and follower of Punishment. It is usually manifest in a degree of reformation that is not inconsistent… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
“Pessimism n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
WALL STREET, n. A symbol for sin for every devil to rebuke. That Wall Street is a den of thieves is a… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
He who thinks with difficulty believes with alacrity. A fool is a natural proselyte, but he must be caught young, for his… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
MYTHOLOGY, n. The body of a primitive people's beliefs concerning its origin, early history, heroes, deities and so forth, as distinguished from… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
SACERDOTALIST, n. One who holds the belief that a clergyman is a priest. Denial of this momentous doctrine is the hardest challenge… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
optimism, n. The doctrine, or belief, that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
OPTIMISM, n. The doctrine, or belief, that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
HEART, n. An automatic, muscular blood-pump. Figuratively, this useful organ is said to be the esat of emotions and sentiments --a very… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Faith. Belief without evidencein what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, ofthings without parallel. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
PREFERENCE, n. A sentiment, or frame of mind, induced by the erroneous belief that one thing is better than another. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
PRESBYTERIAN, n. One who holds the conviction that the government authorities of the Church should be called presbyters. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Christian, n.: one who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his… — 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 Image
DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Jealous, adj. Unduly concerned about the preservation of that which can be lost only if not worth keeping. — 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 him who… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
