15 Comments
User's avatar
Viel's avatar

"Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less."

Jono Hey's avatar

Top chiasmus, thanks!

Content addita's avatar

Good from far but far from good....I remember hearing this I believe from one writer. I can't remember the rest of the writing but this part I found quite beautiful.... Good from far, but far from good.

Jono Hey's avatar

Ah, yes, I remember hearing that. Thanks for sharing!

Michael Lai's avatar

I first learnt about chiasmus through the wonderful work of Dr Mardy Grothe:

https://www.drmardy.com/chiasmus/book

Jono Hey's avatar

That's great, thanks. I hadn't come across these. They all look fun. "Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you," is ingenious =)

Raymond Edling's avatar

I don't always say what I mean, but I always mean what I say.

Raymond Edling's avatar

Here's a concept that, I think, might have graphic potential: adjacent to every hill to die on is a hole to dig yourself deeper.

Jono Hey's avatar

😂 love it

Raymond Edling's avatar

it's yours, gratis. Have fun!

Garima's avatar

What about this one... Asked by Warren McCulloch, a pioneer of neural networks...

What is a number that a man may know it, and a man that he may know a number?

Is it persuasive? He said only first half was clear to him and the second half never so. Critical thinking is not very common. Using Chiasmus for persuasion alone seems in bad taste and from the examples you gave, it seems politicians have used it to persuade on the worst aspects of their politics.

Jono Hey's avatar

Interesting example. Thank you, Garima. I hadn't come across that one. For sure, I think all of the rhetorical techniques, including chiasmus, can and are used for good or ill.

I don't know if you've come across this before, for example:

https://sketchplanations.com/rhyme-as-reason-effect

People are more likely to believe something is accurate or truthful if it rhymes 🤷‍♂️

Helen Morley's avatar

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away". Not quite but close

Jono Hey's avatar

Very close indeed. Thanks, Helen.