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.
When good news about the market hits the front page of the New York Times, sell.
Today everyone is a star - they're all billed as 'starring' or 'also starring'. In my day, we earned that recognition.
Too many people spend more time planning how to get the job than on how to become productive and successful in that job.
You don't get this opportunity many times in life to compete against the best in the world every night. I certainly didn't expect to have 10 or 11 years of chances at it, so I don't want to take that for granted.
It takes 20 victories for people to recognize you as a great pitcher.
The number one idea is to view a stock as an ownership of the business and to judge the staying quality of the business in terms of its competitive advantage. Look for more value in terms of discounted future cash-flow than you are paying for. Move only when you have an advantage.
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