The Art of the Aphorism
We live in the Twitterverse: a world saturated with information—some accurate, some inaccurate; some of it deep and compelling, much of it shallow and mind-numbing. We live in a world where critical thinking is discouraged, leading some of us to cling to ideologies without reflection or to reject all thought as mere ideology. We live in a world where propaganda passes for truth and cleverness is mistaken for wisdom.
This isn’t going to change any time soon.
If holy rascals are to pierce the fog of information and reach people with our ideas, we must be brief, clear, and compelling in our presentation. In short (pun intended), we must master the art of the aphorism: writing short “to hold the swift insights and fresh observations that are the raw data of the wisdom of the ages”.17
Aphorisms are literature’s hand luggage. Light and compact, they fit easily into the overhead compartment of your brain and contain everything you need to get through a rough day at the office or a dark night of the soul.
James Geary, The World in a Phrase