Philanthropist, n.: A rich (and usually bald) old gentleman who has trained himself to grin while his conscience is picking his pocket.
Interpretation
The quote humorously critiques wealthy philanthropists who may appear generous while being self-serving.
Ambrose Bierce's quote cleverly captures the irony of philanthropy, suggesting that some wealthy individuals engage in charitable acts primarily to soothe their conscience while still benefiting themselves. This reflection invites readers to consider the motivations behind acts of charity and the societal structures that often privilege the rich, highlighting a tension between genuine altruism and self-interest.
In practice
This quote would be great to use in a discussion about corporate social responsibility.
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.
Dreading that climax of all human ills the inflammation of his weekly bills.
Studies have shown that an ant can carry one hundred times its own weight, but there is no known limit to the lifting power of the average tiny eighty-year-old Spanish peasant grandmother.
Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.
You know the difference between a tornado and divorce in the south? Nothing! Someone is losing a trailer.
Let Pirelli's / Miracle Elixir / Activate your roots, sir... Keep it off your boots, sir- / Eats right through. Yes, get Pirelli's! / Use a bottle of it! / Ladies seem to love it... Flies do, too!
Wit penetrates; humor envelops. Wit is a function of verbal intelligence; humor is imagination operating on good nature.
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