Aphorisms Matter

Every life has a story

Nicholas Teague
From the Diaries of John Henry
2 min readAug 25, 2022

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  • An aphorism is a condensed form of writing in which one can find the theme of a novel, the lesson of an age, or a pithy diversion.
  • No aphorism is complete without context, but one may feel free to bring their own.
  • The cheapest way to sedate someone is to give them false hope.
  • People more distrust that which confuses them than that which threatens them.
  • The weak are less capable of holding power un-wielded.
  • Democratic principles are the canary in the coal-mine of human rights.
  • The most dangerous line of reasoning is that things couldn’t get worse.
  • The legal code can be manipulated to most any end desirable, it takes integrity to follow the just.
  • The only accepted conventions of entrepreneurship are for fundraising, there are no formulas.
  • Entrepreneurs are (eventually) worth more to an economy than any dozen white collars.
  • Even though the stakes of entrepreneurial success are high, in the worst case one can fall back on employability from the experience.
  • When you’re trying to build a rocket ship, the wisdom of “if someone invites you on a rocket ship don’t ask which seat” is less applicable.
  • No one builds a rocket ship on their first try.
  • Rocket ship failure modes are not pretty.
  • Rocket ships in orbit are beyond beautiful.
  • The currency of time can be invested in a diversified or concentrated portfolio just like any other.
  • Stocks outperform bonds over the long term.
  • Investors do not abandon their portfolios, they can only be taken by the market.
  • Illiquid securities are the hardest to regulate or audit.
  • Writers do not write for today’s audience.
  • A bigger audience is only better as it is more likely to reach the target audience.
  • The target audience is the one whose life is changed.
  • Everyone goes to church, many just don’t know what they are worshiping.
  • The hymnal of the gospel of the profane is a language that should be spoken quietly when outdoors.
  • The jokes you laugh at say more about you than the ones you tell.
  • Small talk is any conversation that is only about one subject.
  • The target audience was you.
You Get What You Give — Zac Brown Band

For further readings please check out the Table of Contents, Book Recommendations, and Music Recommendations. For more on Automunge: automunge.com

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Nicholas Teague
From the Diaries of John Henry

Writing for fun and because it helps me organize my thoughts. I also write software to prepare data for machine learning at automunge.com. Consistently unique.