proverb
A proverb is a formulaic statement lauded as life’s wisdom and plastered on walls to mask its obviousness. Most serve as magical words so self-evident they seduce one into inaction. People praise their depth while quoting them, ironically concealing their own shallowness. Sometimes hailed as great sayings, sometimes fodder for satire, proverbs become measuring sticks of human pretension. They persist by pretending profundity in the guise of common sense.