Duty - that which sternly impels us in the direction of profit, along the line of desire.
Interpretation
Duty drives us toward our desires, emphasizing the balance between obligation and personal ambition.
In this quote, Ambrose Bierce reflects on the nature of duty as a powerful force that guides our actions. It suggests that while duty may push us toward profit or success, it is closely intertwined with our personal desires. This interplay highlights the importance of understanding our motivations and obligations as we navigate our paths in life, ultimately questioning whether we pursue profit for its own sake or as a means to fulfill our deeper desires.
In practice
In a speech about personal accountability, one could reference this quote to emphasize the importance of fulfilling one's responsibilities.
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.
The older I get, the more clearly I remember things that never happened.
The sinner is not the one who uses a lot of grace... The saint burns grace like a 747 burns fuel on take off.
. . . there is a wish in the heart of mankind to be distracted and confused. Truth is but one attraction, and not always the most powerful.
The Industrial Age is not sustainable. It's not sustainable in ecological terms, and it's not sustainable in human terms.
My desire to live is as intense as ever, and though my heart is broken, hearts are made to be broken: that is why God sends sorrow into the world.
The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their 'beliefs.'
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