"Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage."

Politics

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Insight & Reflection

The theme of politics is universal, yet Ambrose Bierce manages to capture its essence in a uniquely profound way. Taking a moment to internalize this can shift our mindset, reminding us that our perspective on politics often shapes our reality.

About Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American author, journalist, and poet. A prolific and versatile writer, Bierce was regarded as one of the most influential journalists in the United States and as a pioneering writer of realist fiction. For his horror writing, Michael Dirda ranked him alongside Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. S. T. Joshi speculates that "he may well be the greatest satirist America has ever produced, and in this regard can take his place with such figures as Juvenal, Swift, and Voltaire." His war stories influenced Stephen Crane, Ernest Hemingway and others, and he was considered an influential and feared literary critic. In recent decades, Bierce has gained wider respect as a fabulist and poet.

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More by Ambrose Bierce

"When purpose is clear, every obstacle transforms into a stepping stone. Such is the immutable nature of understanding — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"It is a profound truth that every scar carries the quiet memory of a battle faced and survived — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"history, n. An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools."

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