Perhaps reading Nietzsche this fall caused me to fall into this sort of vein, but here are some aphorisms of my own, some original and some not. A few sacrifice precision for pithiness. Most were originally intended specifically for my students (and me), but they have a great deal of generality.
1
All you have to do is die–everything else in life is a choice, so make good ones
2
Always be your own toughest critic. That way, you don’t get as much criticism from others.
3
(from Sartre) The Sacrifice of Abraham: when you hear the voice of God telling you to do something, ask yourself: is this really God? Or am I hearing some other voice?
4
The Scylla and Charybdis of life: You are not nearly as good as you’d like to be, but you’re not nearly as bad as you fear.
5
Leave the world a little bit better than you found it, whether your “world” is your family, St. John’s, a relationship, college, or the whole planet.
6
You aren’t perfect, so stop expecting other people to be.
7
The world doesn’t owe you much and often won’t pay you even when it does.
8
You are better off, no matter how miserable you feel or how much less money or glamor you have, than 80+ % of the rest of the world. Suck it up.
9
Be a good friend–the only way to have friends is to be a friend.
10
Forgive those who harm you but, as John Wayne said, don’t forget the bastard. If you’re a Republican, Ronald Reagan put it best: Trust, but verify.