Maxim
A short rule for conduct, usually stated as a general principle.
A maxim is a concise statement of a moral, ethical, or practical rule of conduct. Where an aphorism observes the world and a proverb crystallises folk wisdom, a maxim instructs. It says, in effect, here is how to live, write, fight, govern, or trade.
The most influential collection in the European tradition is La Rochefoucauld's Maximes (1665), which treats human behaviour with surgical scepticism. Marcus Aurelius's Meditations functions as a private notebook of Stoic maxims, written by an emperor to remind himself how to act under pressure.
Because a maxim makes a claim about how one should behave, a strong maxim survives translation, era, and politics. A weak one ages into a slogan.
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
Keep reading the glossary
A short, sharp statement that compresses a truth or observation into a single line.
A traditional saying that expresses a generally accepted truth — almost always anonymous.
An old, well-known saying that has acquired authority through long use.
A 2,000-year-old practice of distilling ethical instruction into short, repeatable lines.