Distilled Truths

“Great minds discuss ideas.
Average minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people.”

And writer nerds discuss quotes.

I love quotes that succinctly convey a wise or true idea. Not banal clichés, but deeper, more meaningful maxims pithily expressed. I collect books of quotations, and often browse through them. I love it when just a few words effectively express a profound truth in a way that causes me to savor its richness.

This habit is in inverse proportion to my own tendency to run at the mouth. My wit must not have much soul if Shakespeare was correct in saying, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Then again, if Dorothy Parker was right when she said, “Brevity is the soul of lingerie” I am probably okay.

God likes these distilled truths too, and even included an entire book of Proverbs in His Holy Bible. My fondness for proverbs is a part of His image that I reflect. When looked at that way, the crisp use of language becomes much more than a hobby. This is why I was thrilled  to receive a huge Bartlett’s and Roget’s Thesaurus as a gift a few years ago. This volume is a treasury of descriptive words, lists, and relevant quotes. Reading it is like gorging on a buffet of rich delicacies (and we all know how much I love my sweets…)

May my own words be worth the time it takes to read them!