Before Underlining the Sentence
By Ayman Fouad Abdelgawad
An elegant line deserves a second question: what has it persuaded us to overlook?
Some sentences seem to arrive already underlined. Their rhythm and compression give a thought the appearance of inevitability. I enjoy that force, but try to pause before treating it as proof.
Restate the claim in ordinary language. Does it still hold? Identify the exception it leaves out. Would someone who bears the cost of the argument find its economy clarifying or dismissive?
This does not mean distrusting style. Beautiful writing can make a distinction memorable and help reasoning remain available long after a book is closed. The problem is confusing memorability with completeness.
Aphorisms are especially vulnerable to this confusion because they achieve force by omitting qualifications. Their usefulness often depends on the context in which we choose to apply them.
An underline should mark an encounter worth returning to, not a permanent exemption from examination. Sometimes the best note beside a striking sentence is simply a question.