@gutenberg_org If you'll indulge me in a brief discussion about the many flavors of condensed wisdom.
Aphorism: Short, smug little truths that strut around as if brevity were the sole criterion for profundity. E.g. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" The aphorism prides itself on being observational & compact, as tho its terseness makes it inherently more correct. Usually 2 sentences long cuz heaven forbid we explain ourselves.

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#maxim the aphorism's elder sibling who went to finishing school. Maxims have a slightly more officious vibe, presenting themselves as advice or life rules: ethical, practical or both. E.g. "Honesty is the best policy." Maxims want to guide you, but in that annoying, prescriptive way that assumes you haven't already figured this out yourself.

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#Axiom: here's where we pretend this wisdom game gets serious: axioms don't just suggest or observe. They declare. These are the foundational statements you're just supposed to accept w/o question cuz everyone else does. E.g. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Very big in math & logic, less fun at parties.

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#Adage: An adage is like an aphorism that's been around the block a few centuries. These are the sayings your grandmother stitched into a pillow, probably after hearing it from her grandmother. E.g. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Old. Safe. Well-worn like a pair of slippers. They're reliable but rarely thrilling.

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#Epigram: The clever little show-off at the party, trying to outsmart everyone with a witty turn of phrase. Often paradoxical, sometimes poetic, & always trying to be the smartest kid in the room. E.g. "I can resist everything except temptation." -- Oscar Wilde
If aphorisms are polite, epigrams are sardonic little brats with perfect hair.

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#Dictum: (or dicta, if we're being pedantic) are the stern, no-nonsense older uncles of the group. Formal, authoritative, & often stamped with the air of officialdom. E.g. "Justice delayed is justice denied." They don't mess around. You don't question a dictum. You just nod & pretend it's original.

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#Epigraph: what happens when someone else's aphorism or adage sneaks into your book & pretends it was always part of the furniture. Found at the beginning of novels or chapters, it sets the tone while also letting you borrow someone else's gravitas. E.g. that out-of-context quote at the start of any literary novel.

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#gnome: no, not the little garden statues. A gnome is a compact, ancient, cryptic little nugget of wisdom that sounds like it came straight from Socrates' group chat. E.g. "A rolling stone gathers no moss." Gnomes tend to be practical & a little mysterious, like fortune cookies with existential undertones.

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#Apothegm: basically the gnome's hyper-specific cousin. Short & sharp, it's the no-nonsense wisdom for people who don't like their maxims sugar-coated. E.g. "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Often moralistic & just a little too pleased with itself, the apothegm is here to teach you a lesson whether you asked for one or not.