Aphorisms by Drew Byrne

Posted on February 7, 2009
Filed Under Aphorisms | 13 Comments

Like Tim Daly, Drew Byrne is a practitioner of the syllogistic saying. His aphorisms have a whiff of E.M. Cioran around them, something dark and vaguely sinister around the edges. The gathering gloom is alleviated, to some extent, by a kind of bitter paradoxical humor, a final twist that raises what could be a smile or could be a grimace. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell which is which.

We all make mistakes, possibly the first one is being born.

Small people stick together, possibly to encourage each other to be smaller.

He who can still say he is confused, can also say he is getting there.

If you can only look for what your looking for, you will only find what you see.

Comments

13 Responses to “Aphorisms by Drew Byrne”

  1. Tim Daly on March 1st, 2009 9:42 am

    “If you can only look for what your looking for, you will only find what you see.”

    I love this aphorism of Drew’s and note that if the word “can” is removed then a subtly different, but equally sound, syllogism shines through. In both cases there are multiple layers of juicy significance.

  2. Drew Byrne. on March 5th, 2009 1:53 pm

    Note: Please substitute “you’re” for “your” in the fourth aphorism…as I was drunk when I did that…and I was probably drunk when I posted it to Mr Geary…and anyway, modern aphorisms probably make better sense when one is drunk than when one isn’t, really…

  3. marty rubin on March 27th, 2009 1:11 pm

    If life’s a joke I’m beginning to get it.

    Being alive is enough. You don’t have to be good at it.

    Not seeking is never in vain.

  4. marty rubin on April 21st, 2009 1:28 pm

    Drew, I enjoy your aphorisms. They’re very classical in their expression, but with that modern sense of hopeful hopelessness. Tell me where I can find more.

    Marty Rubin

  5. Drew Byrne on April 24th, 2009 11:15 am

    I usually send my more printable aphorisms to The Sunday Times…but they never seem to print them…

  6. marty rubin on April 24th, 2009 3:11 pm

    I hate a joker who clowns around just to be serious.

  7. Drew Byrne. on May 1st, 2009 11:31 am

    Ah, where has all the gravitas gone? Into the ground—where it belongs!

  8. marty rubin on May 5th, 2009 1:35 pm

    Drew-been enjoying your contributions to the daily aphorism website.

    Marty Rubin

  9. Drew Byrne on May 9th, 2009 1:10 pm

    …I hesitate to put my aphorisms on the web, as people may not read them…

  10. Joe Cool on June 20th, 2009 6:53 pm

    Drew, I’ve looked at your aphorisms with amusement and curiosity, but I still think there’s something lacking in them: talent.

  11. Drew Byrne. on June 25th, 2009 12:01 pm

    Personally speaking, I make up aphorisms for my own amusement at having questions that can be observed through making up “witty” aphorisms…and anybody who doesn’t like that, as far as I’m concerned, can take a running jump off the top of “The Gherkin”; preferably with a banana in his hand for something to do on the way down.

  12. Joe Cool on August 8th, 2009 4:39 pm

    Rumour has it within the “aphoristic community” that this guy once had a personality…albeit a split one.

  13. Drew Byrne on August 20th, 2009 2:14 pm

    Never criticise another man’s didgeridoo playing – especially when he’s performing solo.

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