Epigrams/aphorisms

woops

is not like other people
I'd define an aphorism as a short sentence which is true without necessarily being literally true. Nietzsche is a good example of an epigrammatic writer in that his most striking thoughts were put in a single sentence. A joke is the epitaph on the death of an emotion, stuff like that.
 

woops

is not like other people
However he's not the best example as I believe he couched his epigrams in longer pieces. A proper book of aphorisms should let them stand alone.
 

woops

is not like other people
I used to have an entertaining book called "All Trivia" by Logan Pearsall Smith, an old Victorian fashioned man of letters, which was a compendium of some books of his. There were a few good examples of aphorisms in there, each individually numbered and presented without any context, for example:

"Most people sell their souls, and live with a good conscience on the proceeds."

or

"To suppose, as we all suppose, that we could be rich and not behave as the rich behave, is like supposing that we could drink all day and keep absolutely sober."

you get the idea
 

mixed_biscuits

_________________________
Having said that, I would strongly recommend brainstorming original aphorisms as an intellectual exercise: see if you can come up with more pithy or apparently original thoughts than you have years. aphorisms/years x 100 = your Philosopher Quotient, PQ
 

woops

is not like other people
Zizek says aphorisms are cack because they ring true even when negated
See my first post. I'd disagree though because making a cynical joke about love doesn't preclude falling in love even as you feel the truth of that Nietzsche line. He's missed the point, being too literal, stick to science Slavoj
 

Clinamenic

Binary & Tweed
I'd define an aphorism as a short sentence which is true without necessarily being literally true. Nietzsche is a good example of an epigrammatic writer in that his most striking thoughts were put in a single sentence. A joke is the epitaph on the death of an emotion, stuff like that.
There was a section in Twilight of the Idols that was a proper list of aphorisms, if I recall correctly.
 

Clinamenic

Binary & Tweed
Yeah I kind of think of aphorisms as potent distillations of philosophic discourse, ideally in common language.
 

woops

is not like other people
I've never enjoyed reading Zizek just an endless boring rant without a single memorable line or hint of style. Mind you I don't speak Slovenian
 

woops

is not like other people
Mate of mine showed me a book of aphorisms by siècle Viennese writer Karl Krauss one of his is "you don't even live once". Contradiction of the banal demonstrably untrue but you feel his cynicism nonetheless
 

woops

is not like other people
There was a section in Twilight of the Idols that was a proper list of aphorisms, if I recall correctly.
i've never actually sat down and read Nietszche properly for the very reason that I read that his best insights were put in epigrams and I thought oh well that's good then, I don't have to read all the boring stuff I'll just watch out for his one liners lol
Not sure what is meant by "a Chinese" but whatever it is, with Zizek I bet it'll be memorable.
I meant a meal in a Chinese restaurant but I was aiming for a pithy phrase in common language
 

Clinamenic

Binary & Tweed
i've never actually sat down and read Nietszche properly for the very reason that I read that his best insights were put in epigrams and I thought oh well that's good then, I don't have to read all the boring stuff I'll just watch out for his one liners lol
Twilight is essentially a bunch of disparate sections that could likely be appreciated independently. I've read that, Antichrist, and the first half of Zarathustra, which I plan on finishing.
 

Clinamenic

Binary & Tweed
Pretty sure all of those include rants of his where he slams Christians as decadents and "epileptoids" and whatnot haha.
 
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