Letter to My Daughters: On Maxims
"A maxim is a short, memorable statement that expresses a general truth, principle, or rule of conduct." Some maxims are widely known: "Life isn't fair," "You don't always get what you want," "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," etc. Some are vulgar: "Wish in one hand and spit in the other, see which one fills up first." Some are just earthy: "When you're up to your neck in alligators, it's easy to forget that your objective was to drain the swamp." And some are known only among family and friends: "Being paranoid [...]