I learned a new word in my American Romanticism class today -- "aphorism." It's a short witty statement of profound thought or truth. I realized that aphorisms are the reasons why I love my favorite books, I just never knew what those perfect lines were called.
We read Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay, "Self-reliance," today in the above mentioned class. It was full of aphorisms. Some of my favorites are listed below:
"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness."
". . .the asinine expression. . .I mean 'the foolish face of praise,' the forced smile which we put on in company where we do not feel at ease in answer to conversation which does not interest us."
"With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. . .Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today."
"To be great is to be misunderstood."
"Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing."
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