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 does NOT mean people are not out to get you,” and its corollary: “It is not paranoia if someone is ACTUALLY out to get you.”
Some of my favorites come from Ambrose Bierce[i], H. L. Mencken[ii], and Will Rogers[iii]. A good maxim forces you to think a little deeper than it first appears. You read it and think, “That’s funny” or “That’s certainly true,” but then you realize, “Wait a minute, I have to think about that.” This is the opportunity to really learn.
Writing your own is good mental exercise. Take an idea, find the essence, and write that down as concisely as you can.[iv] It helps if you can make it funny, but “Dying is easy; comedy is hard.”
Your Grandpa did this with his “Basic Financial Maxims I Want My Kids to Know.” Over the years, I’ve added some of my own:
- Your money doesn’t know how old you are; and if it did, it wouldn’t care.
- You have to take care of your money before it can take care of you.
- The answer to most questions is, “It depends.”
- A promise to double your money in a year will cost you all your money in six months.
Let me know when you encounter maxims that you think are useful and important, and try to create your own as you mature in wisdom and confidence.
[i] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ambrose_bierce_121648
[ii] https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7805.H_L_Mencken
[iii] https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/132444.Will_Rogers
[iv] Strunk and White’s “Elements of Style,” “omit needless words.”
