In this adaptation from his book The World in a Phrase, James Geary explores the enduring value of aphorisms—concise, provocative statements—and contrasts them with the superficial platitudes of social media and the cognitive ease offered by Artificial Intelligence.
Defining Aphoristic Intelligence
Geary distinguishes true aphorisms from trite feel-good quotes. While a platitude (like “Love means never having to say you’re sorry”) induces complacency, an aphorism (like “The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth”) disrupts our thinking. Aphorisms do not offer solutions or easy fixes; they are confrontational “wake-up calls” that force us to reconsider our assumptions and grapple with the complexities of life.
The Danger of “Metaphysical Laziness”
The author argues that we are currently facing an influx of “anti-aphoristic” discourse, including rage bait and AI-generated content designed to offer frictionless agreement. While AI promises to reduce our cognitive load, Geary warns this leads to “metacognitive laziness”—the outsourcing of difficult thinking to machines. By letting technology handle our communication and creativity, we risk becoming “spectators” to our own mental lives.
Embracing the Difficulty
The central conclusion is that life’s challenges—aging, relationships, and creative struggles—are supposed to be hard. Aphorisms are valuable precisely because they increase our cognitive load and remind us of what is at stake. Relying on AI to bypass this difficulty causes our critical thinking to wither. As the aphorist Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach noted, “Those who were carried to a goal should not think they’ve reached it.”
Mentoring question
Are you using technology and comforting platitudes to bypass the necessary struggle of thinking for yourself, or are you willing to embrace the difficulty required for true personal growth?