My Own Aphorisms

Part 1

Shannon Yarbrough
5 min readMay 18, 2020

After reading Sarah Manguso’s 300 Arguments I started making a list of my own aphorisms as a fun writing project. I debated on keeping them private or sharing them. I decided to share them, so here are the first 25. If you haven’t read Manguso’s book, I highly recommend it.

What is an aphorism, you ask? Dictionary.com defines Aphorism as “a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation.” I like to think of them as secrets, or even micro-stories. Usually only a sentence or two long, aphorisms express general principles or observations about life. Here are twenty-five of my own aphorisms. If you can think of one, I’d love for you to share it in the comments.

Ferris Bueller, 1986

1. I hugged someone today and I let go first, and I felt bad for doing that. I wondered if the person I was hugging noticed and thought anything. I hate that I did notice. Hugs shouldn’t be noticed for any reason more than what they are and why, and certainly shouldn’t make us feel bad for anything.

2. I didn’t know the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s so I Googled them. I learned Alzheimer’s is a form of Dementia. No matter what you call it, they are both thieves. They rob us of our identity and our memories.

3. I wish I had tons of friends vying for my attention. I’d always be busy and sociable. I know people like that…

--

--

Shannon Yarbrough

Writer, Poet, Artist, Gardener, Southerner, Reader, Blogger, Creative. Not always in that order. www.shannonyarbrough.com