Advice Column, Part 4
(Originally posted Sunday, April 23, 2006)
Hey everybody, I’m going to experiment with the format a bit and go with classic aphorism. Largely because my book needs 8 more pages of aphorisms/maxims and I need to start writing more of them. What is an aphorism? James Richardson calls them “ten second essays.” They use a small amount of wording to convey a large amount of meaning. This requires less effort for the reader to remember it, giving their mind more time and energy to think about it. Zen koans are very similar to aphorisms; however a koan is often difficult to understand because it is trying to change your understanding. Aphorisms often try to improve your understanding instead.
If your interested in learning more about this style of writing, I’d suggest reading Nietzsche and La Rochefoucauld, both wrote books using just this style. And not just any book that might get in the Oprah book club and become successful. But great books, books that changed the very fabric of thought. But enough of that, time to see these babies in action.
To Religion,
Prayers and worship are nothing to a god, what one desires is will and action.
To Political Parties,
Sides only limit us from the truth.
To Pregnant Women or Rather Those Around Them,
An unborn child shares the body of the mother. What happens to her, happens to the child. Consider how many forms of child abuse society must subject that fetus to everyday.
Pleasure and Tomorrow,
“Live for today, as to prepare for who you will become tomorrow” is a classic saying. For those who consume only sweets, prepare for a tomorrow with a body that gains pleasure almost entirely from a source outside your body.
As such, those angry today will seek anger tomorrow.
Those who hate something of themselves today will find more to hate the next day.
To Followers of Heroes,
Often we aren’t inspired by heroes to act like them. Rather to excuse ourselves from it.
To Machinery,
As machinery becomes more complex. Our interactions do as well. It is not merely a case of our addictions becoming greater, rather the formalities we hold between machine and man have become more time consuming.
Hey, that went pretty well. I may continue working through this style again next week. I’ll probably end up putting all these aphorisms in my upcoming poetry book, all I need to do is finish, edit, and publish the sucker. Three difficult processes for a writer with so little experience. (Update: The sucker was never publish and will probably never finished).
MaximumTacolord-
Note and Disclaimer: By further messing up your life based on your reaction to my advice is in no way my fault. You are taking responsibility for your own life by willingly reading what others comment on it. Don’t suddenly become an idiot (well, more of one) and try passing the blame for what you do on me. As long as you don’t oppress yourself or others, things should only have better results from here. Of course, anything you do that is awesome, I’ll totally take credit for and probably already have. You’re welcome for the show, Mr. Colbert.
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