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INJUSTICE, n. A burden which of all those that we load upon others and carry ourselves is lightest in the hands and heaviest upon the back.
Ambrose Bierce
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Injustice is something that may seem small to those who impose it, but it becomes a heavy weight for those who suffer from it.

This quote highlights the concept of injustice as a perception that varies between the oppressor and the oppressed. While those who commit acts of injustice may find it easy to carry, for the victims, the weight of such injustice is immense, illustrating the profound impact of ethical wrongs on individuals' lives.

Themes

InjusticeOppressionSufferingBurdenEthics

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech about civil rights, this quote could be used to emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing injustices.

More from Ambrose Bierce

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.
Ambrose BierceRead
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.
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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.'
Ambrose BierceRead
Disobey n:To celebrate with an appropriate ceremony the maturity of a command
Ambrose BierceRead
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.
Ambrose BierceRead
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.
Ambrose BierceRead

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