Achievement; the death of endeavor and the birth of disgust.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that once achievement is attained, the desire to strive for more can lead to dissatisfaction.
Ambrose Bierce's quote highlights the paradox of achievement, suggesting that once a goal is reached, the excitement and desire that fueled the efforts may turn into disillusionment. It implies that the journey and struggle are valuable, and achieving a goal can sometimes lead to a sense of emptiness if one is not careful to maintain ongoing passion and ambition. The transition from endeavor to disgust reflects the emotional complexity surrounding success and the potential for loss of motivation.
In practice
In a motivational speech about perseverance, one might reference this quote to illustrate the challenges faced after achieving a goal.
PALM, n. A species of tree . . . of which the familiar "itching palm" ("Palma hominis") is most widely distributed . . . . This noble vegetable exudes a kind of invisible gum, which may be detected by applying to the bark a piece of gold or silver.
Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.
Indigestion: A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind. As the simple Red Man of the Western Wild put it, with, it must be confessed, a certain force: 'Plenty well, no pray; big belly ache, heap God.'
Disobey n:To celebrate with an appropriate ceremony the maturity of a command
NOUMENON, n. That which exists, as distinguished from that which merely seems to exist, the latter being a phenomenon. The noumenon is a bit difficult to locate; it can be apprehended only by a process of reasoning - which is a phenomenon.
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.
Once the festival achieved a certain level of notoriety, then people began to come here with agendas that were not the same as ours. We can't do anything about that. We can't control that.
Sign your work...If you're not proud of it, don't ship it. If you are, sign your work and own the results. We'll know who to thank. If you work for a place where work goes unsigned (internally, in particular) it's worth asking why.
Listen, I wrote 10 unsuccessful books before I broke through, so I'm looking all the time to keep my books fascinating. I want to write what people want to read, not push any message.
I've been lucky. Opportunities don't often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them.
I can understand wanting to have a million dollars but once you get beyond that, I have to tell you, it's the same hamburger.
Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going sixty miles an hour or is the train going sixty miles an hour and you're just sitting still?
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