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The only distinction that democracies reward is a high degree of conformity.

Ambrose Bierce

ULTIMATUM, n. In diplomacy, a last demand before resorting to concessions.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Concession Demand Resort
IMAGINATION, n. A warehouse of facts, with poet and liar in joint ownership.
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Fact Imagination Lying Poet
Don’t steal; thou’lt never thus compete successfully in business. Cheat.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Business Cheating Complete Steal Success
Litigation: A machine which you go into as a pig and come out of as a sausage.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Machine Technology Transformation
There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Adventure Knowledge Old Sun Wisdom
Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman’s power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Country Fools Freedom Instrument Power
Consul – in American politics, a person who having failed to secure an office from the people is given one by the Administration on condition that he leave the country.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Administration Condition Country Failure Himself Leaving Person Politics Security
He who thinks with difficulty believes with alacrity. A fool is a natural proselyte, but he must be caught young, for his convictions, unlike those of the wise, harden with age.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Age Believe Fools Hard Thinking Wisdom Young
War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography.
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God Place Teaching War
Patriotism. Combustible rubbish ready to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name.
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Ambition Himself Name Patriot
Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate.
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Death End Estate Himself
MIND, n. A mysterious form of matter secreted by the brain. Its chief activity consists in the endeavour to ascertain its own nature, the futility of the attempt being due to the fact that it has nothing but itself to know itself with.
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Brain Fact Himself Mindset Mysterious Nature
RUMOR, n. A favorite weapon of the assassins of character.
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Assassination Character Weapon
REFLECTION,n: An Action of the mind whereby we obtain a clearer view of our relation to the things of yesterday and are able to avoid the perils that we shall not again encounter.
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Avoid Mindset Ourselves Reflection Relationship
Belladonna, n.: In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.
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Beautiful Death Essential Example Poison
Mad, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellectual independence.
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Degree Independence Intellectual

The only distinction that democracies reward is a high degree of conformity.

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The only distinction that democracies reward is a high degree of conformity.

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