MAD, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellectual independence; not conforming to standards of thought, speech and action derived by the conformants from study of themselves; at odds with the majority; in short, unusual. It is noteworthy that persons are pronounced mad by officials destitute of evidence that themselves are sane. For illustration, this present (and illustrious) lexicographer is no firmer in the faith of his own sanity than is any inmate of any madhouse in the land; yet for aught he knows to the contrary, instead of the lofty occupation that seems to him to be engaging his powers he may really be beating his hands against the window bars of an asylum and declaring himself Noah Webster, to the innocent delight of many thoughtless spectators.

Famous Quotes / Ambrose Bierce

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Ambrose Bierce: "MAD, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellectual independence; not conforming to standards of thought, speech and action derived by the conformants from study of themselves; at odds with the majority; in short, unusual. It is noteworthy that persons are pronounced mad by officials destitute of evidence that themselves are sane. For illustration, this present (and illustrious) lexicographer is no firmer in the faith of his own sanity than is any inmate of any madhouse in the land; yet for aught he knows to the contrary, instead of the lofty occupation that seems to him to be engaging his powers he may really be beating his hands against the window bars of an asylum and declaring himself Noah Webster, to the innocent delight of many thoughtless spectators."

Quotations about

Action	Affected	Against	Asylum
Aught	Bars	Beating	Conformants
Conforming	Contrary	Declaring	Degree
Delight	Derived	Destitute	Engaging
Evidence	Faith	Firmer	Hands
High	Himself	Illustration	Illustrious
Independence	Inmate	Innocent	Instead
Intellectual	Knows	Land	Lexicographer
Lofty	Madhouse	Majority	Noah
Noteworthy	Occupation	Odds	Officials
Persons	Powers	Present	Pronounced
Really	Sane	Sanity	Seems
Short	Spectators	Speech	Standards
Study	Themselves	Thought	Thoughtless
Unusual	Webster	Window

Quotes by Power Quotations

MAD, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellectual independence; not conforming to standards of thought, speech and action derived by the conformants from study of themselves; at odds with the majority; in short, unusual. It is noteworthy that persons are pronounced mad by officials destitute of evidence that themselves are sane. For illustration, this present (and illustrious) lexicographer is no firmer in the faith of his own sanity than is any inmate of any madhouse in the land; yet for aught he knows to the contrary, instead of the lofty occupation that seems to him to be engaging his powers he may really be beating his hands against the window bars of an asylum and declaring himself Noah Webster, to the innocent delight of many thoughtless spectators. - Ambrose Bierce