The world has suffered more from the ravages of ill-advised marriages than from virginity.
Interpretation
Ill-advised marriages cause more harm than remaining single.
Ambrose Bierce's quote suggests that the negative consequences of ill-conceived marriages have a greater impact on society than the choice to remain unmarried. It highlights the idea that poorly thought-out unions can lead to suffering and turmoil, emphasizing the importance of careful consideration in matters of commitment and relationships.
In practice
During a discussion on relationships at a seminar, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of choosing partners wisely.
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.
I have always been principally interested in men for sex. I've always thought any sane woman would be a lover of women because loving men is such a mess. I have always wished I'd fall in love with a woman. Damn.
It's no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently or if your favorite films wouldn't even speak to each other if they met at a party.
The vulnerability of opening your heart fully and deeply to another is terrifying, but at a point in my 50s, I realized that I had to step up to the plate.
Too many women are forced to abort by poverty, by their menfolk, by their parents. A choice is only possible if there are genuine alternatives.
I sang with my father for over 50 years, and now all of a sudden he's gone, and I just dropped out.
Most of us have jobs that require some handling of other peoples' feelings and our own, and in that sense, we are all partly flight attendants.
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