LOSS, n. Privation of that which we had, or had not. Thus, in the latter sense, it is said of a defeated candidate that he "lost his election".
Interpretation
Loss can be understood as the deprivation of something we possessed or desired.
This quote by Ambrose Bierce offers a profound reflection on the concept of loss, presenting it not merely as an absence but as a nuanced experience that encompasses both what we have lost and what we never had. By illustrating how a defeated candidate 'lost his election', Bierce emphasizes that loss can arise from actively seeking something and failing, highlighting the emotional and psychological dimensions associated with defeat and aspiration.
In practice
In a motivational speech about resilience after failure.
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 first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.
If we don't choose to intentionally and consciously slow down and stop being in a rush, your body and mind will force you to do it anyway.
Some people possess talent, others are possessed by it. When that happens, a talent becomes a curse.
Ambition first sprung from your blest abodes: the glorious fault of angels and of gods.
And all knowledge, when separated from justice and virtue, is seen to be cunning and not wisdom; wherefore make this your first and last and constant and all-absorbing aim, to exceed, if possible, not only us but all your ancestors in virtue; and know that to excel you in virtue only brings us shame, but that to be excelled by you is a source of happiness to us.
It is difficult to fight against anger; for a man will buy revenge with his soul.
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