Ambrose Bierce Quotes on World (15 Quotes)

INCOMPOSSIBLE, adj. Unable to exist if something else exists. Two things are incompossible when the world of being has scope enough for one of them, but not enough for both as Walt Whitman's poetry and God's mercy to man.

TAIL, n. The part of an animal's spine that has transcended its natural limitations to set up an independent existence in a world of its own.

PIGMY, n. One of a tribe of very small men found by ancient travelers in many parts of the world, but by modern in Central Africa only. The Pigmies are so called to distinguish them from the bulkier Caucasians who are Hogmies.

Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.

AFFLICTION, n. An acclimatizing process preparing the soul for another and bitter world.

GEOGRAPHER, n. A chap who can tell you offhand the difference between the outside of the world and the inside.

REPRESENTATIVE, n. In national politics, a member of the Lower House in this world, and without discernible hope of promotion in the next.

OCCIDENT, n. The world lying west (or east) of the Orient. Largely inhabited by Christians, powerful sub-tribe of the Hypocrites, whose principal industries are murder and cheating, which they are pleased to call 'war' and 'commerce.'

Heaven lies about us in our infancy and the world begins lying about us pretty soon afterward.

Irreligion - the principal one of the great faiths of the world.

Sabbath - a weekly festival having its origin in the fact that God made the world in six days and was arrested on the seventh.

DELUGE, n. A notable first experiment in baptism which washed away the sins (and sinners) of the world.

INADMISSIBLE, adj. Not competent to be considered. Hearsay evidence is inadmissible ... but there is no religion in the world that has any other basis than hearsay evidence.

OPERA, n. A play representing life in another world, whose inhabitants have no speech but song, no motions but gestures and no postures but attitudes.

ENOUGH, pro. All there is in the world if you like it.