“Happiness is lost by criticizing it; sorrow by accepting it.”

— Ambrose Bierce, Epigrams, The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, vol. 8, 1911

About Ambrose Bierce

Born 1842

American satirist and journalist, author of "The Devil's Dictionary".

“Perseverance, n. A lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success.”

“When prosperous the fool trembles for the evil that is to come; in adversity the philosopher smiles for the good that he has had.”

“The gambling known as business looks with austere disfavor upon the business known as gambling.”

“Pure and complete sorrow is as impossible as pure and complete joy.”

“Grief may be joy misunderstood; Only the Good discerns the good.”

“Every joy that some experience is paid for by the sorrow of others.”

“Excess of joy is harder to bear than any amount of sorrow.”

“Death, like generation, is a secret of Nature.”

“No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle.”