--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nor do apophthegms only serve for…" description: "\"Nor do apophthegms only serve for ornament and delight, but also for action and civil use, as being the edge-tools of speech which cut and penetrate th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/francis-bacon-297_action_nor-do-apophthegms-only-serve-for-orname_2663437.jpg" --- # Nor do apophthegms only serve for ornament and delight… ![“Nor do apophthegms only serve for ornament and delight, but also for action and civil use, as being the edge-tools of speech which cut and penetrate the knots of business and affairs: for occasions have their revolutions, and what has once been advantageously used may be so again, either as an old…” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/francis-bacon-297_action_nor-do-apophthegms-only-serve-for-orname_2663437.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/francis-bacon-297_action_nor-do-apophthegms-only-serve-for-orname_2663437.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/francis-bacon-297_action_nor-do-apophthegms-only-serve-for-orname_2663437.jpg) > “Nor do apophthegms only serve for ornament and delight, but also for action and civil use, as being the edge-tools of speech which cut and penetrate the knots of business and affairs: for occasions have their revolutions, and what has once been advantageously used may be so again, either as an old thing or a new one.” [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Aphorisms are not just decorative; they are practical tools that cut through complex problems and can be reused in new contexts. **In simple terms:** Aphorisms help solve problems and can be reused later. Key Takeaway Use concise sayings to clarify and act on issues. Themes communication problem solving reusability wisdom Mood analytical strategic Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - business negotiations - political speeches - personal decision making - conflict resolution Key Concepts rhetoric cognitive shortcuts strategic thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance brevity with depth? - When might a proverb mislead? A Different Perspective Overreliance on aphorisms may oversimplify nuanced issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Old things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-things/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutions/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) ## Related quotes > [Some men covet knowledge out of a natural curiosity and inquisitive temper; some to entertain the mind with variety and delight; some for ornament…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/some-men-covet-knowledge-out-of-a-natural-curiosity-and-inquisitive/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Wise sayings are not only for ornament, but for action and business, having a point or edge, whereby knots in business are pierced and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/wise-sayings-are-not-only-for-ornament-but-for-action-and-business/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [But the greatest error of all the rest is the mistaking or misplacing of the last or farthest end of knowledge: for men have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/but-the-greatest-error-of-all-the-rest-is-the-mistaking-or-misplacing/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I hold every man a debtor to his profession; from the which as men of course do seek to receive countenance and profit, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-hold-every-man-a-debtor-to-his-profession-from-the-which-as-men-of/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament is affection; to make judgment wholly by their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/to-spend-too-much-time-in-studies-is-sloth-to-use-them-too-much-for/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Old things are better than new things, because they've got stories in them, Ethan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/old-things-are-better-than-new-things-because-they-ve-got-stories-in/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“Nobody can understand the greatness of the thirteenth century, who does not realize that it was a great growth of new things produced by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/nobody-can-understand-the-greatness-of-the-thirteenth-century-who/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [I continue to be interested in new things that seem old and old things that seem new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaquelin-t-robertson/i-continue-to-be-interested-in-new-things-that-seem-old-and-old/) [Jaquelin T. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaquelin-t-robertson/) > [Sometimes I don't fully accept it. It's tough. I miss doing old things. I miss shooting hoops with my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bauman/sometimes-i-don-t-fully-accept-it-it-s-tough-i-miss-doing-old-things/) [Jeff Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bauman/) > [“Passion makes a person stop eating, sleeping, working, feeling at peace. A lot of people are frightened because, when it appear, it demolishes all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/passion-makes-a-person-stop-eating-sleeping-working-feeling-at-peace/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Naming one thing after another cannot, logically, increase the chances of the new thing turning out like the old thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-beauman/naming-one-thing-after-another-cannot-logically-increase-the-chances/) [Ned Beauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-beauman/) > [Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/repentance-is-a-realization-that-what-god-wants-from-you-and-what-you/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“It is as simple as that. Birds fly because they have wings and so when you can’t grow the wings, you can’t be called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-is-as-simple-as-that-birds-fly-because-they-have-wings-and-so-when/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Old things need not be therefore true, O brother men, nor yet the new; Ah! still awhile the old thought retain, And yet consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/old-things-need-not-be-therefore-true-o-brother-men-nor-yet-the-new/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [“The thing about moving," he said, "is it's a good way to shake loose whatever old baggage you have, or the old things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-schuster/the-thing-about-moving-he-said-is-it-s-a-good-way-to-shake-loose/) Tara Schuster ## More by Francis Bacon > [Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration, but no rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/princes-are-like-heavenly-bodies-which-cause-good-or-evil-times-and/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let men by all means endeavor to obtain good customs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/since-custom-is-the-principal-magistrate-of-man-s-life-let-men-by-all/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/painting-today-is-pure-intuition-and-luck-and-taking-advantage-of/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/much-bending-breaks-the-bow-much-unbending-the-mind/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When Christ came into the world, peace was sung; and when He went out of the world, peace was bequeathed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-christ-came-into-the-world-peace-was-sung-and-when-he-went-out/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/neither-is-it-possible-to-discover-the-more-remote-and-deeper-parts/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The divisions of science are not like different lines that meet in one angle, but rather like the branches of trees that join in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-divisions-of-science-are-not-like-different-lines-that-meet-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-human-understanding-when-any-preposition-has-been-once-laid-down/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I should have been, I don't know, a con-man, a robber or a prostitute. But it was vanity that made me choose painting, vanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-should-have-been-i-don-t-know-a-con-man-a-robber-or-a-prostitute/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Wounds cannot be cured without searching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/wounds-cannot-be-cured-without-searching/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-french-are-wiser-than-they-seem-and-the-spaniards-seem-wiser-than/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-a-man-laughs-at-his-troubles-he-loses-a-great-many-friends-they/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Believing that I was born for the service of mankind, and regarding the care of the commonwealth as a kind of common property which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/believing-that-i-was-born-for-the-service-of-mankind-and-regarding/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) [Explore all 711 Francis Bacon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. 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