Aphorisms

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 Aphorisms

Aryan Mukherjee


Sometimes even the most soul-stirring things can be warped into something banal. “A barking dog never bites”. “Be yourself, because there is only one you”. “Imagination is the key to life”. Once upon a time, these provocative sayings had a deep hidden meaning that would make your heart melt, but now, hearing one of these cliche proverbs just makes my stomach churn. Aphorisms, or “quotable quotes”, are present in everyday life, but are just those. Quotes. Sayings. Overused and underwhelming. 


Social media is taking over Generation Z, and you have, without a doubt seen a post with some words of wisdom written below it. A picture of a rosebush in your garden?We all have thorns in our life, but we must look past them and at the roses. A family picnic? Family is the jewel of life. Treasure it. The fact that a few shrewd sayings and figurative words exist allow the current population to snag them and use them whenever they feel right to. Intuitive? Yes. Deep and inspirational? Yes. But who hasn’t heard the same aphorism at least 1000 times in their life?


Sure, original and contemporary aphorism are always a pleasure to hear, and one of my favorites that my grandfather told me was “A slip of the tongue is not a fault of the mind”, which seemed like a rather poetic way to put a simple truth. But although they may have that awe-inspiring aura to it, the truth is that not a single one has made a difference to my life, or inspired me in any way. Why? Because they are just words, and like a famous aphorism once averred, Actions speak louder than words.


So although aphorisms are meant to be clever and insightful, their truism and overuse in the modern era takes away from their true effect. So the next time you are thinking of rolling one out to your friends online, think: Do I really mean this?




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