Lawsuit: A machine which you go into as a pig and come out of as

Hear the scathing wit of Ambrose Bierce, who in his Devil’s Dictionary laid bare the hypocrisies of human society: “Lawsuit: A machine which you go into as a pig and come out of as a sausage.” At first, these words seem humorous, even absurd. But behind the jest lies a bitter truth, forged from Bierce’s own observations of the courts and the endless quarrels of men. He likens the process of legal dispute not to the refinement of justice, but to the grinding gears of a machine, where what enters whole and living emerges broken, processed, and diminished.

The meaning of this saying is plain yet profound. When a man enters a lawsuit, he may believe himself righteous, full of dignity, perhaps even expecting vindication. Yet once inside the machinery of legal wrangling—endless documents, fees, delays, and arguments—his cause is stripped of simplicity, his resources drained, his spirit worn down. By the end, what emerges is no longer the strong creature that entered, but a lifeless product, consumed and transformed, reduced by the grinding gears of litigation. Thus Bierce warns: the court is less a temple of justice than a mill that devours both wealth and hope.

History offers abundant proof. Consider the infamous case of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce, immortalized by Charles Dickens in Bleak House. The case, concerning an inheritance, dragged on through generations, consuming the fortunes of all involved. By the time it ended, the estate had been devoured entirely by legal costs, leaving nothing for the heirs. Those who entered as hopeful claimants came out as ruined shells—just as Bierce’s pig is turned into sausage. Though Dickens painted fiction, it was rooted in the realities of Victorian courts, where lawsuits often destroyed those they were meant to serve.

The ancients also knew this truth. The philosopher Seneca warned against the folly of litigation, declaring that disputes should be settled by reason and compromise rather than by courts. For he knew that the longer a quarrel is placed into the hands of lawyers and judges, the more it consumes. What begins as a matter of principle often ends as a matter of exhaustion. In this, Bierce’s machine is timeless: it grinds not only flesh and coin, but also honor, patience, and peace of mind.

Bierce’s metaphor of the pig and sausage also suggests loss of identity. A pig is whole, alive, recognizable. A sausage is shapeless, ground, and unrecognizable. So too with lawsuits: a man may begin with a clear grievance, but by the end, the truth is so processed and obscured that no one can recognize it. The original wrong is lost beneath layers of technicalities and rhetoric. What emerges may be called “justice,” but it no longer resembles the living issue that first entered the court.

The lesson for us is stern but necessary: avoid lawsuits whenever possible. Seek reconciliation, compromise, or arbitration before stepping into the machine. Understand that once inside, you will not emerge the same—you may lose wealth, dignity, and even the clarity of your cause. The wise do not surrender themselves easily to the grinding gears of litigation. Instead, they guard their peace, value resolution, and choose battles sparingly.

Practical action follows naturally: honor your word, keep your contracts, and treat others fairly so that disputes do not arise. When conflict comes, speak truth with patience, and seek agreement outside the courts. If a lawsuit is unavoidable, prepare your heart for loss as well as victory, knowing that even success may leave scars. Remember Bierce’s teaching, and enter the machine only when all other doors are closed.

So let his words echo: “A lawsuit is a machine which you go into as a pig and come out as a sausage.” Let them be a shield against rashness, a reminder of the true cost of conflict. For the courts may grind down even the strongest, but wisdom, humility, and foresight can keep a man whole, sparing him from becoming the sausage of another man’s victory.