APHORISM LISTS • Page 1
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LIST I
Genius is the ability to keep reaching for the persimmons A man can do nothing till he believes he can do something The philanthropist divides what he has; the socialist, what he hasn’t The shora lamb hunts for the tempered wind Helpfulness is love in action Never stir rice when it sticks to the pot Too many budding geniuses share the fate of the peach-buds There are lots of real heroes not jingling with Carnegie medals The bee that gets the honey don’t hang around the hive He gives little to his servant that licks his knife The cat eats fish, but won’t wet her feet Steel the hog and give the feet for alms If a man hews too high, some chip falls in his eye The shortest answer is doing Out of debt is riches Science sees signs; Poetry the thing signified A thought often makes us hotter than a fire Small cheer and great welcome make a merry feast No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him A piece of church-yard fits everyone All dogs are down on the strange dog Every day good luck to thee, and no day of sorrow It is very hard for a frog to catch cold A little water will do for an ant’s swim The rope will burn but not the twist |
LIST II
He who fears a sparrow will never sow millet A statesman is a man who can rise to meet an emergency and cave in the emergency’s head The wise camel saves his back for the last straw Happiness consists of the misfortunes we avoid To every ton of dove one needs an ounce of serpent Too many boatmen will run the boat on the mountain Even a monkey will sometimes fall from a tree Open your eyes before you wed; blink a little after A clear conscience softens a lumpy mattress You can’t plow the soil without soiling the plow The man who doesn’t want what he hasn’t got, has all he wants The tools to him that can handle them Add your conscience to your capital The smoke will go up the chimney just the same Experience is the only teacher who isn’t taxed for pensions Quietly do the next thing to be done The best of men are at best but men To get a word in edge-wise, is hard when money talks A thought though oft expressed is his who says it best Do what you can, being what you are Travel takes us down four notches in our conceit A confiding nature will buy hair tonic off a bald barber One swallow makes no summer but one oyster makes a stew Daily bread is dry unless spread with daily duties Consistency is the one jewel not left in cabs by actresses |