Many people use this word in everyday life. However, not everyone fully understands what it means. What is an aphorism? How is it different from statements, quotes, etc.? This needs to be sorted out.
Origin of the term
So, before considering what an aphorism is, I would like to say a few words about the origin of this term. This is a Greek word, in translation it means nothing more than "determination". An aphorism is a complete thought, distinguished by some kind of originality. The main genre feature is conciseness and the fact that such phrases are easy to remember. And they have a deep meaning. What is an example?
Suppose the following expression: "Why are those who defend with their breasts most often inflict a blow in the back?". Such a phrase is really easy to remember, and it also makes you think and develop the idea set forth in the aphorism. For the most part, the latter was achieved due to the interrogative nature of the proposal. Although the stated essence plays a certain important role here.
Quotes and aphorisms - what are theydifferences?
Many people confuse these concepts. Although, I must say, it is almost the same thing. But there are still some differences. In order not to be mistaken, you should clearly remember their definitions. So, a quote is a literal thought. It can be a phrase written out from a book, a poem or any other literary work. Often, quotes are taken from films, literally removing them from the lips of the main characters. Sometimes they are written out of the songs. In general, a quotation is a verbatim excerpt of a text. What is an aphorism? This is the name of a complete thought, as precise and concise as possible.
But what's the difference? For the most part - in volume. A quote can consist of one sentence or several paragraphs. But aphorisms (most of them - about 70%) consist of only a few words. This is what makes them special. More aphorisms appear most often in the context of any works. They can be artistic, philosophical, even scientific. Of course, there are also author's aphorisms. Take, for example, the popular expression "both of the brawlers are stupid." It belongs to I. A. Krylov - the great fabulist.
Or this phrase: "Everyone hears only what he understands." Goethe is a great thinker who is the author of this aphorism, which every person is capable of prompting reflection on. Interestingly, many of these statements have a continuation. Only now each person thinks it out on their own.
Bright examples
Speaking ofwhat an aphorism is, one cannot do without vivid examples. Perhaps one of the most extravagant personalities, who owns really interesting and original statements, is Faina Ranevskaya. This is an incredible woman who said amazing things, often not embarrassed by strong words. It is not for nothing that her aphorisms and sayings are so popular; a few years ago a book was even published with her most "sharp" expressions. Well, let's take a look at some of them as examples.
"If the patient really wants to live, doctors are powerless", "Optimism is a lack of information" - Faina Ranevskaya could please people with both funny statements and phrases that made them think and even rethink something. Her aphorisms about life are especially good, as she said what she thought. This quality has always been rare, and that is why it is so valuable.
Thoughts of the greats
Famous poets, writers and thinkers are also the authors of many popular expressions and aphorisms. The well-known Anton Pavlovich Chekhov said such a phrase, which every person unequivocally uttered at least once in his life: "Brevity is the sister of talent." Three simple words, but how much they make sense! And everything is clear - here you don’t even need to think out anything. This phrase is a confirmation of another aphorism of Anton Pavlovich. He said to be wary of fancy language.
Another great Russian poet was a master of beautiful expressions -Sergey Yesenin. He said one good phrase: "Whoever loved, he cannot love, whoever burned down, you can't set fire to." Yesenin knew how to correctly select comparisons and use them in his speech. This is how many of his statements were born, which became popular expressions.
Despite the fact that Sergei Alexandrovich was very young, he spoke words that aroused certain thoughts in a person. "You need to live easier, you need to live easier, accepting everything that is in the world" - this is also his expression. Few people quote him verbatim, but this phrase is vital for everyone. Everyone understands what Sergey Alexandrovich wanted to say.
Authorized Authors
Surprisingly, there are people who have actually been recognized as the authors of aphorisms. These include Sakya Pandita, who was a Tibetan scholar of the Middle Ages, Shota Rustaveli, a poet and statesman of the distant 12th century, Juan Manuel, a Spanish writer, Francois de La Rochefoucauld, the author of a whole collection of aphorisms. But this is not the whole list. Friedrich Nietzsche, Mikhail Turovsky, Faina Ranevskaya, Alexander Woolcott, Bernard Shaw - these and many other great personalities are also the authors of aphorisms that are widely popular today and are unlikely to ever sink into oblivion.
