A man is the sum of his ancestors; to reform him you must begin with a dead ape and work downward through a million graves.
Ambrose BierceNOISE, n. A stench in the ear. Undomesticated music. The chief product and authenticating sign of civilization.
Ambrose BierceNOUMENON, 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.
Ambrose BierceWhat is a democrat? One who believes that the republicans have ruined the country. What is a republican? One who believes that the democrats would ruin the country.
Ambrose Bierce