#is

Patience, n. A minor form of dispair, disguised as a virtue. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#disguised #form #minor #virtue

Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#advantages #devil #disagreeable #distance #his

The slightest acquaintance with history shows that powerful republics are the most warlike and unscrupulous of nations. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#history #most #nations #powerful #republics

To be positive is to be mistaken at the top of one's voice. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#positive #top #voice

All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#called #delusions #his #lunatics #philosopher

Amnesty, n. The state's magnanimity to those offenders whom it would be too expensive to punish. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#expensive #magnanimity #offenders #punish #state

Genius - to know without having learned; to draw just conclusions from unknown premises; to discern the soul of things. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#discern #draw #genius #having #just

Immortality: A toy which people cry for, And on their knees apply for, Dispute, contend and lie for, And if allowed Would be right proud Eternally to die for. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#apply #contend #cry #die #dispute

It is evident that skepticism, while it makes no actual change in man, always makes him feel better. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#always #better #change #evident #feel

The mountains are great stone bells; they clang together like nuns. Who shushed the stars? There are a thousand million galaxies easily seen in the Palomar reflector; collisions between and among them do, of course, occur. But these collisions are very long and silent slides. Billions of stars sift amont each other untouched, too distant even to be moved, heedless as always, hushed. The sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper; I cannot quite make it out. But God knows I have tried. ↗

— Annie Dillard

#god #life #listening #mountains #nature