"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance"

This quote by Ambrose Bierce is a humorous take on the development of the telephone. He is indicating that the telephone has eliminated some of the advantages of being able to keep a disagreeable person at a distance. Simply put, the telephone has made it simpler for people to communicate with each other, even if they do not particularly like each other. This quote is a suggestion that technology can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can make communication simpler and more effective, but on the other hand, it can make it simpler for people to stay in contact with individuals they would rather not.