Aphorisms to live by

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D. 

There is no rhyme or reason for the order of aphorisms in this essay.  The single criteria I used for selecting the aphorisms is that they touched me in some way.  My addition in each paragraph is designed to explain the value of the aphorism to me—or the lesson I learned.  The paragraphs are not connected, and there is no relationship between the various choices.  Each paragraph stands alone.
"People need to learn when to abandon pursuit, give up the race, and turn their attention to other matters.  It was Norman Thomas who said, “I am not a champion of lost causes, but of causes not yet won.”
    
Why is it that people of a certain religion or political persuasion, only read literature or listen to viewpoints that support the way they believe?  “Most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do,” said James Harvey Robinson.
    
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored,” said Aldous Huxley.  It’s a little like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, but you have to admit, it’s a whole lot easier speaking out against a position you oppose when you can simply ignore the facts that do not support your position.
    
How do human beings explain their attachment to organized religion and all the trappings associated with their beliefs?  It was Galileo Galilei who said, “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”  There is no excuse for not using sense, reason, and intellect in some instances and then abandoning them entirely in others.
    
Have you ever wondered the difference between knowledge and wisdom?  “Knowledge tells us that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom prevents us from putting it into a fruit salad,” said Miles Kington.  Knowledge teaches you how to drive; wisdom is reflected in how you choose to drive.
    
Have you ever discovered a better argument for possessing knowledge, being well informed, or getting an education?   Louis Pasteur, said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.”
Louisa May Alcott said something similar: “I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship.”  Whether it’s chance or preparing for storms, success lies in preparation, preparation, preparation.  “He who has imagination without learning,” said Joseph Joubert, “has wings and no feet.”
    
In my writing and research I often depend on serendipity—the chance discovery of information.  It was Yogi Berra who said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.”  I would add, “Even when you know where you are going, be alert and take advantage of winding up somewhere else.”
    
When I talk with fourth and fifth graders about writing, rather than advocating learning how to write well (although important), I put my emphasis on learning how to read and read well.  I am supported by Samuel Johnson, who said, “The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.”  “Grasp the subject,” said Cato the Elder, “the words will follow.”
    
“Do not believe that it greatly advances a skill if you practice incorrectly over and over.”  I said that.  You would think that practice makes perfect; however, imperfect practice undermines perfection—and it always will.  “Insanity,” said Albert Einstein, “is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  Einstein also said, “The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.”
    
Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”  Survival here could well refer to relationships, business, and most everything else in life.
    
 There is no better guide for writers than what E.B.White said: “The best writing is rewriting.”  Along with William Strunk, Jr., he wrote the writer’s bible, The Elements of Style, and if imitation is the highest form of flattery, I modeled my book, Public Speaking Rules, on the handy size of theirs, and I even used the same color for my cover as they did for their first edition.
    
 Perhaps I am naive, but I seldom think about death; however, I believe that my goal (and that of everyone else, too) is to live a long and productive life.  It was Leonardo da Vinci who said, “As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.”
    
You put your trust in politicians that they are not just familiar with history but, too, that they will be wise in their understanding and application of historical precedent in the decisions they make.  David McCullough said, “To plan for the future without having a sense of history is like trying to plant cut flowers.”  That is precisely why you don’t nominate or elect politicians who are educationally challenged, not well read, do not think well, or cannot answer questions in a reasoned, well-informed, and educated manner.
    
Most people in a democracy both know and understand the importance of the freedom of speech they are granted; however, those times when their belief is most challenged occurs when those they dislike are granted the same right.  Noam Chomsky said, “If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.”
    
Over and over the aphorism, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely,” is proven in individuals we at first admired and respected.  Albert Einstein said, “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”  In organizations, associations, and groups, when such respect occurs, the result that often takes place is groupthink—long associated with faulty decision making.
    
George Bernard Shaw said, “When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”  What truths might there be?  The book, How to be funny on purpose: Creating and consuming humor , by Edgar E. Willis, offers instruction and insights.
    
And your challenge to grow, develop, and change can take place at any time in your life.  “You are never too old,” said George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), “to be what you might have been.”  H. L. Mencken said, “You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Aim above the mark to hit the mark.” And, to end on a light note, it was W. C. Fields who said, “Start every day off with a smile and get it over with.”  This essay is now “over with.”
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At Thinkexist.com, there are “Deeper Quotes.”  If you enjoyed those in this essay, you will surely enjoy those at this web site.

At the QuoteGarden, there are a large number of “Philosophical Quotations,” that offer insights, significant thoughts, and great language.

Mark Vernon, at the web site NewStatesman, wrote an essay, “The Art of the Aphorism,” in which he ends by saying, “This explains why writing a good aphorism, like constructing a good soundbite, is an art. The best are simple and the opposite of simplistic. In an age when the average attention span is apparently decreasing, the sagacious soundbite could yet become the solution to - rather than a symptom of - the tendency to dumb down.”
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Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.