Gotta love a good #aphorism – they’re literary genius for the time-poor!

Five facts you really should know about aphorisms…

I love aphorisms (however, please note: this is not one of the five facts you really should know about them). They’re succinct summations of observation that make you think and sometimes see the world in a different light. Seeing life a different way is what I’m all about, so it’s no surprise that I’ve owned the book in front of me right now, “The Faber Book of Aphorisms” (edited by W H Auden and Louis Kronenberger in 1964, reprinted 1989), for almost twenty years.

The prologue to "Aphorisms" by Hippocrates

How do I know I’ve owned my book for that long? I know because on the inside cover of my book is a certificate that reads “Prize for Contribution to School Life 1991 – 1992” and it’s made out to me (woot woot, younger-me!). I was awarded the prize for founding my school’s very first writers’ society (exactly twenty years ago), and my prize was a book voucher and a certificate. Knowing the certificate would be placed inside whatever book I purchased, I was careful to choose a book I’d keep for many years to come. Thankfully, I chose wisely. I loved aphorisms then and I still do.

Aphorisms have been around for centuries, some people attribute the first aphorism to Hippocrates, and I think more people should write them. In fact, I want to inspire you… so here are five facts you might not know about aphorisms, but really should, if you want to give writing them a go:

1. Aphorists do not argue or explain, they simply assert – in a way that makes them sound rather clever.
2. In some cultures, the ability to spontaneously produce aphoristic sayings at exactly the right moment is a key determinant of social status.
3. Every aphorism must convince its reader that it is essentially true of every member of the class to which it refers (they’re nothing like epigrams, which need only be true of a single case *pish pish*).
4. Aphorisms can comment on science, humanity, philosophy, moral or literary principles, nature, society, government, love – anything. There’s something for everyone.
5. Aphorisms often reflect the society in which they are created, as do anthologies of aphorisms. Famous collections of aphorisms include India’s Sutra, the Hebrew Bible’s Ecclesiastes, Islam’s Hadith, and the Greek Enchiridion of Epictetus.

You see, aphorisms are fab! In fact, in celebration of aphorisms, I’m going to post an aphorism on my blog each day for a month, starting today. If you have a favourite aphorism, or wish to comment on an aphorism I’ve posted, this is the place to share your thoughts. Welcome to Zena’s Aphorism Month! Now get writing and come up with some of your own!