Aphorism

An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic (concise) and memorable form. Aphorism literally means a "distinction" or "definition", from Greek ἀφορισμός (aphorismós), which is from ἀπό (apo) and ὁρίζειν (horizein), meaning "from/to bound". The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates. The oft-cited first sentence of this work (see Ars longa, vita brevis) is:

Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience deceptive, judgment difficult.

The term was later applied to maxims of physical science, then statements of all kinds of philosophical, moral, or literary principles. In modern usage an aphorism is generally understood to be a concise statement containing a subjective truth or observation cleverly and pithily written.

Read more about Aphorism:  Literature, Society

Famous quotes containing the word aphorism:

    The aphorism wants to be at the same time both main line and off beat.
    Mason Cooley (b. 1927)

    A good aphorism is too hard for the teeth of time and is not eaten up by all the centuries, even though it serves as food for every age: hence it is the greatest paradox in literature, the imperishable in the midst of change, the nourishment which—like salt—is always prized, but which never loses its savor as salt does.
    Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)

    An aphorism that does not score is just one more sentence.
    Mason Cooley (b. 1927)