The Millennial Star

Aphorisms, Schema, and teaching our Children

A sister of mine who has many minor children wants to create a copy book for her children.

She is looking for aphorisms that will shape her children into wise men and women. She is looking to shape her children’s schema, the way they perceive and remember the reality of their lives. If you’re not sure what an aphorism is, here’s an awesome quote I found on the internet:

An aphorism is a short pithy statement that states a truth and smacks you with a reality punch… A good aphorism is only the tip of the iceberg and underneath its logic is a ton of philosophical meaning. It is the big truth in capsulated form and its power is in its ability to be retained in our consciousness and the affect it has on our thinking.[ref]The Jesus Style of Communication – Aphorisms and Parables at Radical Grace, available online at http://donmilam.com/2013/02/the-jesus-style-of-communication-aphorisms-and-parables-2/, retrieved 3 July 2014.[/ref]

This jogged my memory. Months before Bruce Nielson recruited me to blog here at M*, I had come across the “Great BCC Aphorism Contest.” Not being familiar with BCC, I decided to toss off a few aphorisms, original to me that day, for example:

When I reviewed the aphorisms others were submitting, I realized my aphorisms did not express doubt and sarcasm. In short, I was the thing that was not like the others. I never could tell who supposedly won that contest.

The Radical Grace post where I found the description of aphorisms had another image, stating:

The birth of an aphorism is a process of reception and a procession of perception

In other words, your aphorisms arise from your schema, the fundamental essence of how you view the universe.

So I challenge you to to come up with aphorisms you think a rising generation should have in their hearts and souls if they would become wise and good citizens of tomorrow’s world. It’s OK to re-quote aphorisms from others or the scriptures.

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