The 18^th-century French philosopher Voltaire has been widely credited with saying, “Common sense is not so common.”

Some people might say that this is a good example of a pithy (see definition below) statement. But you don’t have to be a philosopher to state things in a brief, direct and memorable way.

“Don’t worry, be happy!” is a pithy slogan that virtually everyone has heard.

There are also plenty of pithy quotes that embody a concise statement of truth or principle. These are known as aphorisms. “It’s easier said than done,” for example, is an aphorism.

So what does all of this prove? Perhaps there’s some truth to the well-known quote: “It’s not what you say, it’s the way you say it!”

Speak your mind: Can you think of a pithy statement that is particularly meaningful to you?

PITHY: Spoken or written language that is brief and forcefully expressive or meaningful.