Ambrose Bierce, (1842-1914) American Civil War soldier, humorist, writer Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page [1-16] of 16 Ambrose Bierce quotesAmbrose Bierce QuotesAmbrose Bierce An election is nothing more than the advanced auction of stolen goods.~ Ambrose Bierce In each human heart are a tiger, a pig, an ass and a nightingale. Diversity of character is due to their unequal activity.~ Ambrose Bierce Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.~ Ambrose Bierce Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.~ Ambrose Bierce The gambling known as business looks with austere disfavor upon the business known as gambling.~ Ambrose Bierce History is an account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.~ Ambrose Bierce Idiot, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.~ Ambrose Bierce Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.~ Ambrose Bierce Optimism: The doctrine that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right that is wrong. ... It is hereditary, but fortunately not contagious.~ Ambrose Bierce Vote: The instrument and symbol of a free man's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.~ Ambrose Bierce Alliance: In international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.~ Ambrose Bierce Heathen, n. A benighten creature who has the folly to worship something that he can see and feel.~ Ambrose Bierce The hardest tumble a man can make is to fall over his own bluff.~ Ambrose Bierce Opposition, n. In politics the party that prevents the government from running amuck by hamstringing it.~ Ambrose Bierce Diplomacy: The patriotic art of lying for one's country.~ Ambrose Bierce As records of courts and justice are admissible, it can easily be proved that powerful and malevolent magicians once existed and were a scourge to mankind... Nothing in any existing court was ever more thoroughly proved than the charges of witchcraft and sorcery for which so many suffered death. If there were no witches, human testimony and human reason are alike destitute of value.~ Ambrose Bierce Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print