I continue to be fascinated by the concept of aphorism. Without question, James Geary’s book, The World in a Phrase is my favorite resource though there are others. I’m going to add them to this thread eventually.
Warning: TV show reference ahead.
I remember an episode of The West Wing. A political consultant played by the late Ron Silver says, “Those who have never been sailing competitively won’t understand my approach to political races.” He goes on to describe how a member of the crew will dislodge a piece of seaweed from the hull, thus eliminating the drag. “You don’t poke at it with a pole; you put the pole in the water in such a manner as to allow it to sweep back against the hull. This will remove the seaweed without adding to the drag in the process.”
He knew that every little thing was potentially important. This led to constant vigilance and a thoughtful approach to problem solving.
I feel the same way about getting our meme out there into the “real” world of the clinic – and I think a good aphorism or two will help us in this regard.
The following is paraphrased from Geary’s book.
Enough.
I’ve an aphorism to present here and I’m hoping to make it something our profession begins to hear once we’ve cleaned it up as need be.
Soon.
Warning: TV show reference ahead.
I remember an episode of The West Wing. A political consultant played by the late Ron Silver says, “Those who have never been sailing competitively won’t understand my approach to political races.” He goes on to describe how a member of the crew will dislodge a piece of seaweed from the hull, thus eliminating the drag. “You don’t poke at it with a pole; you put the pole in the water in such a manner as to allow it to sweep back against the hull. This will remove the seaweed without adding to the drag in the process.”
He knew that every little thing was potentially important. This led to constant vigilance and a thoughtful approach to problem solving.
I feel the same way about getting our meme out there into the “real” world of the clinic – and I think a good aphorism or two will help us in this regard.
The following is paraphrased from Geary’s book.
Light and compact, aphorisms fit easily into the overhead compartment of our brains. They’re brief and concise. They’re meant for use during emergencies – they penetrate and thus with remarkable speed tell you everything you need to know.
Aphorisms are definitive. They assert rather than argue, proclaim rather than persuade, state rather than suggest. And though they demand assent through their declarative style, even the aphorist knows they aren’t 100% true.
Aphorists are far from harmless. They are troublemakers and iconoclasts, dogmatists whose majestic authority commands consent. They are revolutionaries.
Aphorisms have a personal quality that possess the power to both charm and enrage those who hear them. Different from proverbs which are worn and bereft of usefulness through repeated use, aphorisms challenge and shock us by demanding a response – either recognition or retort. They cast the audience into an active role, which is both their appeal and the reason they are so rare.
Like magic, an aphorism often achieves its impact through paradox and reversals of import. What the listener assumed would be the concluding phrase is turned on its head, and thus jolts the listener toward further thought. This is where the “enraged” part comes in.
Aphorisms are definitive. They assert rather than argue, proclaim rather than persuade, state rather than suggest. And though they demand assent through their declarative style, even the aphorist knows they aren’t 100% true.
Aphorists are far from harmless. They are troublemakers and iconoclasts, dogmatists whose majestic authority commands consent. They are revolutionaries.
Aphorisms have a personal quality that possess the power to both charm and enrage those who hear them. Different from proverbs which are worn and bereft of usefulness through repeated use, aphorisms challenge and shock us by demanding a response – either recognition or retort. They cast the audience into an active role, which is both their appeal and the reason they are so rare.
Like magic, an aphorism often achieves its impact through paradox and reversals of import. What the listener assumed would be the concluding phrase is turned on its head, and thus jolts the listener toward further thought. This is where the “enraged” part comes in.
I’ve an aphorism to present here and I’m hoping to make it something our profession begins to hear once we’ve cleaned it up as need be.
Soon.
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