What Is an Aphorism? | Definition, Examples & Meaning
An aphorism is a brief statement that expresses a general truth or principle about life. Aphorisms can be humorous and often require interpretation. Due to their clever and memorable nature, aphorisms are commonly found in literature, philosophy, and everyday conversations.
“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” – Confucius
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” – Albert Einstein
Aphorism definition
An aphorism is a concise and thought-provoking statement that expresses an important truth about life. Unlike proverbs, aphorisms are often attributed (or misattributed) to specific people such as authors, scientists, or politicians.
Aphorisms offer deep insights that apply universally and are often taken from literary, political, and religious texts. Popular aphorisms are frequently repeated or paraphrased and become part of everyday language. For example, the line “You reap what you sow” is a paraphrase from the Bible: “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
Writers and speakers use aphorisms because they allow them to communicate big ideas in a concise and memorable way. However, aphorisms can lack clarity and specificity due to their brevity, which can lead to misunderstandings.Sometimes an aphorism can be too obvious, in which case it constitutes a truism.
Aphorism examples
Aphorisms are often attributed to specific thinkers, writers, or politicians and have also entered daily language through sources like movies and pop culture.
| Aphorism | Origin |
|---|---|
| Brevity is the soul of wit. | Hamlet by William Shakespeare |
| To err is human; to forgive, divine. | An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope |
| Life consists of what a man is thinking of all day. | Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller, often misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| Hate the sin and love the sinner. | attributed to Gandhi |
| It is better to be feared than loved. | paraphrased from The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli |
| Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know. | Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu |
| I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. | misattributed to Voltaire |
| Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. | Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Wilde |
| Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. | Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin |
| Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. | Michael Corleone in The Godfather II |
| What does not kill you makes you stronger. | Friedrich Nietzsche |
| The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| The unexamined life is not worth living. | The Apology of Socrates by Plato |
| In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. | The Art of War by Sun Tzu |
Frequently asked questions about aphorisms
- What is the difference between proverbs and aphorisms?
-
Proverbs and aphorisms both express general truths, and sometimes they may overlap; however, there is a difference between them.
A proverb is a short well-known saying that typically originates from folk culture and common human experience. Proverbs are used in everyday speech to give advice or guidance.
An aphorism, on the other hand, is a personal observation typically attributed to a writer or philosopher. It is a concise and witty statement expressing a truth about life.
In short, a proverb originates from folk wisdom and is used to give advice, whereas an aphorism is often attributed to a specific individual and is more thought-provoking.
- What is an example of an aphorism?
-
The phrase “Less is more” is an example of an aphorism. It encapsulates the value of simplicity and minimalism in just three words, making it a concise and memorable statement.
- What is the difference between an aphorism and an adage?
-
The words aphorism and adage are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between them:
An aphorism is a thought-provoking statement that encapsulates complex truths in a brief, memorable form. It is often attributed to a specific individual (e.g., “To thine own self be true” from Hamlet).
An adage, on the other hand, is a traditional and well-known saying that expresses a general truth (e.g., “Better late than never”).
In short, an aphorism is intended to make us think, while an adage expresses common sense. However, in everyday usage, the distinction between the two is not always clear.
