What is a Maxim? Working with Maxims

Maxims = Sayings or Expressions A maxim is another word for an old saying or common expression. Examples may include statements such as… “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” “Haste makes waste” “A penny saved is a penny earned” Think of some maxims you know from your family, your friends, or your culture. (Almost every culture has its own maxims.)

Maxims = Denotation and Connotation Maxims often have two meanings: their denotation and their connotation. Denotation = dictionary definition, literal meaning. Connotation = What the maxim means beyond the literal level.

Denotation = Dictionary Definition For example, let’s take the maxim “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Literally, this means… You can take a horse up to a watering trough You can show him the water You can tell him to drink it You can’t MAKE him drink if he doesn’t want to.

Connotation = The non-literal meaning However, the connotation of the maxim “You can lead a horse to water…” is more general. It means “You can’t force another person to do a task they do not wish to do.” It means, “You can make an opportunity possible, but that doesn’t mean people will take advantage of that opportunity.”

Maxim Friends! Some maxims have meanings we can compare: they’re pretty similar in many ways. Example: He who hesitates is lost This maxim means that if we wait (hesitate), we might lose an advantage. This is an idea that’s pretty similar to “Time and tide wait for no man.” This maxim means that time marches on: neither time or tide will wait for you to get ready, so you’d better hustle or lose an opportunity.

Maxim Foes! Some maxims have meanings we can contrast: they’re fairly dissimilar and are giving opposite or very different advice about the same subject. Example: He who hesitates is lost This maxim means that if we wait (hesitate), we might lose an advantage. By contrast, consider the maxim “Haste makes waste.” This means that if we act too swiftly (hastily) we might waste an opportunity by not really having prepared for it.

Maxim Examples Maxims are considered to be “folk wisdom” because they’re often true. (Not always, but often.) In life, we often find examples of maxims being true. For example, let’s consider the maxim If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Think of a specific example in which you or someone you know didn’t succeed at an endeavor at first, but then experienced success after trying and failing multiple times.

Maxim = Theme A maxim is very similar to a theme. Both are complete thoughts. Both express opinions about the world. Both provide an argument. Both express universal truths – truths about the world that don’t just apply to specific characters, but apply to everyone.

Our Maxim Paragraph We will be writing a paragraph in which we amplify (expand on) a maxim we like. We will start by explaining the maxim’s denotation (dictionary definition) and connotation (the non-literal meaning). We will find a different maxim that compares to it or contrasts with it.

Our Maxim Paragraph We will also find a specific example to show that our maxim is true or false. For example, let’s say I wanted to use the maxim “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I don’t agree. One example of an “old dog” (that is, a senior citizen) who learned “new tricks” (developed new skills or used innovative tools) was the Greek engineer Archimedes.

Our Maxim Paragraph Archimedes continued to develop new technology all his life. Archimedes developed a device to make it easier to move water from one level to another. He discovered that the density of an object can be found by dividing mass by volume. Archimedes may have invented the world’s first computer. Archimedes continued to learn and improve until he was well into his eighties.

Writing the Maxim Paragraph Pick your favorite maxim Decide if you agree or disagree with your maxim. Find a maxim that COMPARES to it or CONTRASTS with it. Find a specific, capital-letter example that shows why your maxim is true or false. NOTE: No personal experience. Use examples from history, literature, film, current events, or TV.

Example Paragraph A famous maxim states, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” or in other words, you can’t teach a senior citizen a new skill. We understand this saying to mean that learning new techniques, new technologies, or new approaches can be especially challenging for older people; however, not everyone agrees with this maxim because it suggests that only young people can learn new ideas: once we get old – if we believe the maxim – we might as well just give up trying to learn. By contrast, consider the saying “Age is nothing but a number.” This maxim argues that age is irrelevant; it is only a number, not a complete definition of a senior citizen’s true abilities or value. Bottom line, just because a man or woman might be old does not mean she or he cannot learn. For example, consider the ancient Greek engineer Archimedes, one of the most innovative inventors of the ancient world. Archimedes developed improved methods for engineering, astronomical calculation, and physics well into his old age. Ultimately, let’s try to teach old dogs new tricks –maybe they’ll end up teaching us some ideas we haven’t thought of yet ourselves.