If I had to name one unique skill I have, it would be my ability to come up with original aphorisms.
An aphorism is a pithy saying intended to express a compact truth. Here are some examples of my aphorisms:
My book Quick Epiphany has 500 of these aphorisms, organized by categories such as focus, self-deception, dogma, friendship, rivalries, etc. It’s a reference for general wisdom.
Quick Epiphany also includes original essays and musings, whose goals are also to impart wisdom.
The description for this book is simple: it’s a 1400-word vocabulary list that’s organized categorically rather than alphabetically.
The book is only useful for people who want to make a conscious effort in improving their vocabulary. As long as new words are reinforced through practical use, memorizing words through a list can be an effective way to improve vocabulary. The purpose here is to make learning words through a list even more effective.
When words are grouped with similar words, it’s easier to understand their distinct meanings. For example, under the categorical word “Avoid”, the difference between Eschew and Abstain is straightforward. Eschew means “To avoid out of habit based on moral or practical grounds” and Abstain means “To resist something enjoyable”. Had they been listed separately, your brain could have defined them both as “to avoid”, and without contrasting the two, you might’ve used both words inappropriately (Saying someone “Eschews” meat is different than saying someone “Abstains” from it). But when they’re listed together, your brain is better at identifying their nuances.
Even if you forget the specific definitions, knowing at the very least that both words were listed under “avoid” makes them easier to recall whenever you hear the words elsewhere again. So even if you don’t care too much about specific definitions, having a list organized like this is certainly better than one organized by the alphabet.
Have you ever wanted a toolbox of techniques you could use to come up with jokes for any given situation? As a writer, I know I have. But finding a book with a list of joke techniques (on Amazon at least) was impossible. So through theoretical and empirical research, I decided to make the list myself.
After reading through an overview on the history of humor, I was able to reduce humor to just five elements: Surprise, Audacity, Obsession, Relief and Ego. After doing this, I watched through countless hours of my favorite shows, where I wrote down the jokes I found funniest. I put each of them under the element of humor they used, and eventually, I started to notice the actual techniques used with these jokes. I figured that a list of joke techniques, organized through the five elements, would be an excellent toolbox for any writer/comedian/person who wanted to come up with jokes. So I made my list into a book.
As a forewarning: I don’t give too many explanations in the book. In my opinion, you don’t need to know how a tool works; you just need to know how to use it. So in the book, I simply list the joke technique, and give an example or two of jokes that use it. Nothing more than that. If this site has shown you one thing, I hope it’s that I, Zac Toa, prefer to avoid teaching fluff.
If you love me and want to have a better understanding of the world via general philosophies, buy Quick Epiphany. If you just want practical skills (of having a great vocabulary or of understanding the mechanics of humor), you can buy one of the other two books.
Here is a link to all the books:
Unless you absolutely prefer paperbacks, try to get the kindle versions of these book. I get a larger royalty for each kindle unit sold, even though it’s cheaper than their printed counterparts. If you’re gonna get the printed versions, you can still support me by giving my books fair reviews.
As always, thanks for reading
Zac Toa