Behavioral Grooves Podcast How Small Phrases Make Big Impacts | James Geary
Feb 2, 2026
James Geary, author and aphorist behind The World in a Phrase, explores why short sayings stick and shape judgment. He outlines the laws of aphorisms and shows how they act as cognitive heuristics. Conversations cover how aphorisms guide decisions, shift with life stages, and can be found in unexpected places like songs and children’s books.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
What Defines An Aphorism
- Aphorisms are short, witty, philosophical sayings that guide how to think rather than what to do.
- They must be attributable to an author and carry a definitive, twist-filled form to stick in memory.
Fortune Cookies For Poetry Readings
- James bought 100 fortune cookies with his own aphorisms from a tiny Chinatown factory and handed them out at poetry readings.
- He used the fortune-cookie trick to prompt audiences to read and riff on his lines live.
Use Five Laws To Recognize Aphorisms
- Look for the five laws: short, authored, definitive, twisted, and philosophical when judging sayings.
- Use those laws to separate true aphorisms from proverbs, slogans, or anonymous graffiti.
