Ambrose Bierce Quote - LIFE, n. A spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay. We live in daily apprehension of its loss; yet when lost it is not missed.

Life Quotes

LIFE, n. A spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay. We live in daily apprehension of its loss; yet when lost it is not missed.

"LIFE, n. A spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay. We live in daily apprehension of its loss; yet when lost it is not missed."

— Ambrose Bierce

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Author: Ambrose Bierce
Category: Life
Tags: Life Macabre mortality Satire Wry

Meaning of this quote

Life is treated through a deliberately absurd metaphor for the body's preservation.

Key takeaway: Recognize the macabre humor rather than taking the definition literally.

Origin of the quote

The Devil’s Dictionary.

Who actually said this?

Verified

Matched in Bierce’s satirical dictionary; dictionary labels and punctuation may be omitted in the supplied title. These are satirical definitions, not neutral factual definitions. Deduplication: a shorter or closely overlapping variant was removed.

Attributed author: Ambrose Bierce

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