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Aphorism. An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: aphorismos, denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. [1] Aphorisms are often handed down by tradition from generation to generation. The concept is generally distinct from those of an ...
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What is an aphorism? Here’s a quick and simple definition: Some additional key details about aphorisms: 1. Aphorisms are memorable and convincing because of their pithiness. This pithiness can also be a weakness, though, since it usually means that bold assertions are being made without any elaboration or evidence to back them up. 2. Many commonly ...
Aphorism in Literature
Writers of literature often invent memorable aphorisms because they need to communicate a big idea in a striking way. Some aphorisms that originated in literature are now so common that their literary origin is practically unknown, while other aphorisms are still strongly associated with the authors that penned them.
Aphorism in Everyday Speech
This list represents just a small fraction of the aphorisms people commonly use in everyday speech. 1. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. 2. All is fair in love and war. 3. A jack of all trades is master of none. 4. Measure twice, cut once. 5. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 6. Better safe than sorry. 7. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
Aphorism in Politics
Here's a short list of some famous aphorisms that come from political speeches or writing. 1. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. Variations on this phrase are frequently used by American politicians accusing their opponents of representing their policies in a disingenuous way. During the United States' 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama's use of the phrase stirred up controversy when some believed he was calling vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin a lipstick-wearin...
As the above examples from Anna Karenina and Pride and Prejudice show, aphorisms can make for excellent opening lines because they introduce big ideas in relatively few words—in other words, they pack a punch. Of course, aphorisms function just as well within the body of a work. Regardless of where they occur in a text, writers use aphorisms to cle...
If you're on the hunt for compelling and quotable aphorisms, check out this article from NPR, which excerpts sections of Geary's Guide to The World's Great Aphorists.Feb 2, 2024 · Definition: An aphorism is a succinct statement or observation that embodies a general truth or principle, often with wit and philosophical depth. Etymology and Origin: Originating from the Greek ‘aphorismos’, meaning ‘definition’ or ‘distinction’, the term has roots in ‘aphorizein’, implying ‘to define’ or ‘to delimit’.
Mar 19, 2019 · In this way, aphorisms have functioned as ancestors, allies, or antagonists to grand systems of philosophy. Encompassing literature, philology, and philosophy, the history of the book and the history of reading, A Theory of the Aphorism invites us to reflect anew on what it means to think deeply about this pithiest of literary forms.
- Andrew Hui
- March 19, 2019
Jul 15, 2019 · The aphorism, in the course of history, can be taken as the epitome of the rational or the epitome of the irrational. It can be compressed and self-contained wisdom, or it can be a broken fragment ...
Oct 8, 2024 · Aphorism, a concise expression of doctrine or principle or any generally accepted truth conveyed in a pithy, memorable statement. Aphorisms have been especially used in dealing with subjects that were late in developing their own principles or methodology—for example, art, agriculture, medicine,
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Aphorisms, aphorismus, aphorismos -- not just a definition or short statement of a principle; but more than that, aphorisms are thoughts and ideas encapsulated in language. The thinking process is some how created and caught in language. But in the case of aphorisms, the claim is that they are closer and more directly linked to thinking. That is,
