RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who utters them.
Interpretation
Ridicule indicates a lack of respect for someone's character by mocking them.
In this quote, Ambrose Bierce defines ridicule as a way of using language to undermine the dignity of a person. It emphasizes that the act of ridiculing someone not only diminishes the target's character but also reveals a failing in the character of the ridiculer, suggesting that those who mock others do so out of a lack of respect and integrity.
In practice
In a discussion about the impact of bullying, one might reference this quote to highlight how making fun of others reflects poorly on the person doing the mocking.
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.
If you work on a comedy show, your basic form of communication is teasing. That's generally how we speak to each other: you communicate the information between the lines of insulting sentences.
Bad humor is an evasion of reality; good humor is an acceptance of it.
I sometimes wonder how many of these lifetime achievement awards you can accept before you have to do the decent thing and die.
At the risk of appearing disingenuous, I don't really think of myself as 'writing humor.' I'm simply reporting on the world I observe, which is frequently hilarious.
I hope no one asks me to show them the ropes; I have no idea where they are. Maybe I could pull some strings and find out.
He had only one vanity; he thought he could give advice better than any other person.
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