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Irony (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠superfluous in the world, since everything human deserves to be viewed ironically as regards its origin.

Irony (n.) belongs ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠only in teaching: the ironist feigns ignorance until the lamp the pupils hold up to his face shines humiliatingly back on them.

Irony (n.) habitual, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠spoils the character: one comes to resemble a snapping dog that has learned how to laugh but forgotten how to bite.

Irony (n.) the ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠style of superiority, born among students who don't study, uses the words of learning and decency with malice and a grimace — a German of quotation-marks, now spoken by statesmen and critics.

Irony (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠today's Europe, is how one treats all great interests — because one is too busy in their service to have time to take them seriously.

Irony (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the dialectician is a form of mob revenge: the ferocity of the oppressed finds an outlet in the cold knife-thrust of the syllogism.