The beauty of an aphorism is its intransigence when assaulted by reason. Facts, figures, and any other hint of actuality shatter against the almighty maxim. Now, my own creations suffer from a lack of pithiness. I could mend these holes with additional explanatory verbiage, but then their value as aphorisms fall apart. They become argumentative statements.
Aphorisms explain away criticism nicely.
In a sophisticated world, then, such proverbs would be the result of reason rather than the death of it, the cause of further debate instead of the killer. I offer my aphorisms in this spirit. The less talented you are, the more money you make. Obviously this doesn't always apply. We reward mediocrity and ascribe genius to those actually bearing little or none.