from thoughtco.com
Maxim
Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms
Maxims can be
tricky: one maxim (such as "Too many cooks spoil the broth") may be
countered by another ("Many hands make light work"). See What Is a Maxim?. (Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Richard
Nordquist is a freelance writer and former professor of English and Rhetoric
who wrote college-level Grammar and Composition textbooks.
Updated March
20, 2017
Definition
A maxim
is a compact expression of a general truth or rule of conduct. Also known as
a proverb, saying, adage,
sententia, and precept.
In classical rhetoric, maxims were regarded as
formulaic ways of conveying the common wisdom of the people. Aristotle observed
that a maxim may serve as the premise or conclusion of an enthymeme.
Etymology
From the Latin, "greatest"
From the Latin, "greatest"
Examples and Observations
- Never
trust a man who says, "Trust me."
- You're
either part of the solution or part of the problem.
- "Nothing
ever goes away."
(Barry Commoner, American ecologist)
- Sherlock
Holmes: Would you
stand up?
Dr. John Watson: Whatever for?
Sherlock Holmes: It is an old maxim of mine that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Therefore, you are sitting on my pipe.
(John Neville and Donald Houston in A Study in Terror, 1965)
- "Think
sideways!"
(Edward De Bono, The Use of Lateral Thinking, 1967)
- "Start
with a phenomenon that nearly everyone both accepts and considers well
understood--'hot hands' in basketball. Now and then, someone just gets
hot, and can't be stopped. Basket after basket falls in--or out as with
'cold hands,' when a man can't buy a bucket for love or money (choose your
cliché). The reason for this
phenomenon is clear enough; it lies embodied in the maxim: 'When
you're hot, you're hot; and when you're not, you're not.' . . .
"Everybody knows about hot hands. The only problem is that no such phenomenon exists."
(Stephen Jay Gould, "The Streak of Streaks," 1988)
- "Almost
every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it."
(George Santayna)
- Maxims as
Tools of Argument in Classical Rhetoric
- "In the Rhetoric, Book II, Chapter 21, Aristotle treated maxims as a prelude to his discussion of the enthymeme, because, as he observed, maxims often constitute one of the premises of a syllogistic argument. For instance, in an argument about financial matters, one can imagine a disputant saying, 'A fool and his money are soon parted.' The full argument suggested by this proverb would run something like this:
A fool and his money are soon parted.
John Smith is undeniably a fool when it comes to money matters.
John Smith is sure to lose out on his investment.
John Smith is undeniably a fool when it comes to money matters.
John Smith is sure to lose out on his investment.
The value of maxims, according to Aristotle, is that they
invest a discourse with 'moral character,' with that
ethical appeal so important in persuading others. Because maxims touch
upon universal truths about life, they win ready assent from the audience."
(Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student. Oxford University Press, 1999)
- "The orator, says [Giambattista] Vico, “speaks in maxims.” But he must produce these maxims offhandedly; as practical matters always require immediate solutions, he does not have the time of the dialectician. He must be able to quickly think in enthymemic terms."
(Catalina Gonzalez, "Vico's Institutiones Oratoriae." Rhetorical Agendas, ed. by Patricia Bizzell. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006)
(Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student. Oxford University Press, 1999)
- "The orator, says [Giambattista] Vico, “speaks in maxims.” But he must produce these maxims offhandedly; as practical matters always require immediate solutions, he does not have the time of the dialectician. He must be able to quickly think in enthymemic terms."
(Catalina Gonzalez, "Vico's Institutiones Oratoriae." Rhetorical Agendas, ed. by Patricia Bizzell. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006)
- "Too
many cooks spoil the broth"
- "'Too many cooks spoil the broth'--so goes a proverb that is as familiar to most Americans as its meaning. The Iranians expressed the same thought with different words: 'Two midwives will deliver a baby with a crooked head.' So do the Italians: 'With so many roosters crowing, the sun never comes up.' The Russians: 'With seven nurses, the child goes blind.' And the Japanese: 'Too many boatmen run the boat up to the top of the mountain.'"
("Language: The Wild Flower of Thought." Time, March 14, 1969)
- "Having passed through several different studios over its 15-year development, sci-fi comedy Duke Nukem Forever sets a new precedent for how too many cooks really can get busy with the spoilage."
(Stuart Richardson, "Duke Nukem Forever--Review." The Guardian, June 17, 2011)
- "Does the adage 'too many cooks spoil the broth' apply to fiction? Readers of the novel No Rest For The Dead will soon find out. The 26 authors invited to take part in the series have combined sales of tens of millions of books."
("No Rest For The Dead: New Crime Thriller Co-Written by 26 Authors." The Telegraph, July 5, 2011)
- The
Lighter Side of Maxims
Dr. Frasier Crane: There's an old real estate maxim that says the three most important things when looking for a property are location, location, location.
Woody Boyd: That's just one thing.
Dr. Frasier Crane: That's the point, Woody.
Woody Boyd: What, that real estate people are stupid?
Dr. Frasier Crane: No, that location is the one most important thing in real estate.
Woody Boyd: Then why do they say that it's three things?
Dr. Frasier Crane: Because real estate people are stupid.
(Kelsey Grammer and Woody Harrelson in "A Bar Is Born." Cheers, 1989)
Pronunciation: MAKS-im
April is the official month for:
- From thebalancecareers.com
The following
events, industries, causes and emotions (yes, emotions) are observed all month
long in April unless otherwise indicated. Even cannabis (fast becoming
legalized), Florida tomatoes, celery, and soft pretzels are honored,
beginning April 1 through April 30—every year.
- African-American Women's Fitness Month
- Alcohol Awareness Month
- Amateur Radio Month
- American Cancer Society Month
- Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
- Black Women's History Month
- Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
- Celebrate Diversity Month
- Community Service Month
- Confederate History Month
- Distracted Driving Awareness Month
- Financial Literacy Month
- Fresh Florida Tomato Month
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month
- Jewish-American Heritage Month
- Keep America Beautiful Month
- Lawn and Garden Month
- Mathematics Awareness Month
- Month of the Military Child
- National Autism Awareness Month
- National Better Hearing and Speech Month
- National Canine Fitness Month
- National Cannabis Awareness Month
- National Car Care Awareness Month
- National Child Abuse Awareness Month
- National Couple Appreciation Month
- National Deaf History Month (March 13 to April 15)
- National Decorating Month
- National Donate Life Awareness Month
- National Fair Housing Month
- National Food Month
- National Fresh Celery Month
- National Garden Month
- National Humor Month
- National Internship Awareness Month
- National Inventor's Month
- National Jazz Appreciation Month
- National Landscape Architecture Month
- National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (last full week in April)
- National Mental Health Month
- National Month of Hope
- National Multiple Birth Awareness Month
- National Occupational Therapy Month
- National Older Americans Month
- National Parkinson's Awareness Month
- National Pecan Month
- National Poetry Month
- National Safe Digging Month
- National Siblings Day (April 10)
- National Soft Pretzel Month
- National Soy Foods Month
- National STDs Education and Awareness Month
- National Straw Hat Month
- National Volunteer Month
- National Welding Month
- Occupational Therapy Month
- Pets are
Wonderful Month
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
- Records and Information Management Month
- Scottish-American Heritage Month
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month
- Stress Awareness Month
- Thai Heritage Month
- Women's Health Care Month
International and One-Day Observances
Because you may
be in the business of working with internationals, we can not forget the
participation of other countries. Here are a few international honorees, as
well as some causes that are observed globally:
- April is International Guitar Month, recognized in several countries.
- Ontario, Canada recognizes April as Sikh Heritage Month.
- April is National Pet Month in the United Kingdom, although the U.S. waits until May to honor its non-human family members.
- International Pillow Fight Day is observed on April 6 in 2019.
- World Autism Awareness Day also falls on April 2 in 2019.
- World Health Day is April 7, in 2019.
