How an aphorism works

 The aphorist’s impulse is to read, discuss, study and reflect — and then distill the product of those reflections into a few words. The writer assumes that the reader will go through a reverse process, that the aphorism will be the start of reflection for someone else.

I never let school interfere with my education.

Mark Twain said that. But I can unpack that remark as my biography. I didn’t finish high school. But I love to learn. I don’t need an excuse to try.

An aphorism or remark is like a suitcase. Someone uses skill and experience to pack it carefully. Someone else finds the case and unpacks it, marveling at how many useful things he’s come across.