maxims have always delighted me. one of the best i ever found on the wall of a berkeley men's room: the price of freedom is loneliness. i couldn't have said it better myself.
this an old tradition. quips of the roman martial famous since his time: Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst. or, A man who lives everywhere lives nowhere. of course, they get nastier and more ribald.
cynicism definitely part of the fun. the consummate maximist la rochefoucauld difficult to top: some silly people know themselves for what they are, and skillfully turn their silliness to good account. or the man who lives without folly is not as wise as he thinks. this master attributes everything we do to self-love, and he's got many an example to prove it.
okay, i admit it, i've written thousands, especially after reading nietzsche for the first time. here's a whole collection influenced by him:
and part of my reasoning this: most authors/intellects remembered for one sharp statement. true, shakespeare penned thousands, coined all kinds of words. no one with any sense would try to compete with him. still, he didn't say everything the way i would. for example, here's a summation of life:
life is one long improvisation.
simple enough, hard to disprove, and the way i've lived. here's another hard lesson i've learned.
all the problems of love come from not asking the right questions when they need to be asked.
that's right. doesn't do any good after the relationship dead. i wonder if i can make some up on the spot?
emotional blackmail means making someone else responsible for your feelings.
you can crow if you're a crow.
the only coin you have to spend: time.
okay, not great on short notice. and you have to write thousands to get a good one. here's another post:
with a brilliant editor i might sound like a genius. (no maxim intended.)
