Affliction Quote by Ambrose Bierce
“Honorable, adj.: Afflicted with an impediment in one's reach. In legislative bodies, it is customary to mention all members as honorable; as, "the honorable gentleman is a scurvy cur.".”
About This Quote
Source Dictionary: The American Heritage Dictionary, 1992
Describes a person who is formally respected but practically ineffective or hindered.
In simple terms: A respected person who can’t do much.
Key Takeaway
Recognize titles versus actual ability.
Themes
politics
language
satire
Mood
skeptical
ironic
Type
critical
satirical
When to use this quote
- legislative meetings
- political debates
- organizational reviews
Key Concepts
bureaucracy
inefficiency
Questions to Reflect On
- Do titles always reflect competence?
- How does bureaucracy limit action?
A Different Perspective
Titles may mask true capability.
![“The right honorable gentleman [Robert Lowe, Viscount Sherbrooke] is the first of the new party who has retired into his political cave of Adullam and he has called about him everyone that was in distress and everyone that was discontented.” quote by John Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e61/john-bright-17156_caves_the-right-honorable-gentleman-robert-low_2539266.jpg)
![“May I strike my heart's keys clearly, and may none fail because of slack, uncertain, or fraying strings. May the tears that stream down my face make me more radiant: may my hidden weeping bloom… How we waste our afflictions!... [T]hey're really our wintering foliage, our dark greens of meaning…” quote by Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c7/rainer-maria-rilke-193_abode_may-i-strike-my-heart-s-keys-clearly-and_52479.jpg)
