Tweets that Don’t Suck: The Axiomatic Tweet
An axiom is a declarative statement about reality. Merriam Webster calls it a “an established rule or principle or a self-evident truth.” There’s something about these things that makes them among the best tweets. I guess I just enjoy reading insightful statements by people. Honestly, when I see someone write axiomatic tweets, that causes me to consider following them instantly. Today’s tweet that does not suck is an example of that.
Meet Alexia. She is a web editor at SF Weekly and has a penchant for delivering stark statements of truth and insight that I enjoy on an ongoing basis now. They’re just mixed in with all the other things she does and says. Whether or not you agree with an axiomatic tweet is beside the point. Those who send out axiomatic tweets are strengthening their tweetstream by continually providing ongoing content that is inherently interesting to their current friends and potential new followers.
It should also be noted that people who deliver axiomatic tweets are therefore not always sending out links that require you to leave Twitter. That is much appreciated by people who don’t want to lose their train of thought or are at work at the time. Not everyone wants to be whisked off to some other place on the Internet to read an article at all times. It is also well known that tweetstreams are increasingly being used by publications to bolster traffic. Many people understand that and sometimes do not feel as though they wish to be a part of social media campaigns. Some people look for ways to be entertained on Twitter without having to frequent any particular site. Whatever. I just like reading cool axioms and then pondering them.
Here are some examples of the axiomatic tweet:
@BrianSolis “If ignorance is bliss, awareness is…? Awakening? What do you think?”
Brian took it one step further here by asking a question.
@Percival “Twitter misinformation is the best misinformation”
That Percival humor always shines through.
I love the implication of wisdom. If people could change their tweets about thier BLTs into axioms, we'd be saved.
Like: eating a BLT for lunch…everything is better with bacon.
Of course, not all axiomatic tweets are equal. I find most axiomatic tweets to be on par with those awful inspirational posters you see hanging on organizations' walls. Those are mostly just pithy and annoying, with nothing of real interest to say. Those axiomatic tweets that set themselves apart either require considerable unpacking to get to the underlying idea. That's the genius of a good short quote/tweet: it says a TON in just a few short words.
Examples:
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” -Socrates
“Most people have the will to win. Few have the will to prepare to win.” -Bobby Knight
I guess if we were more discriminating between the interesting or profound, on the one hand, and the psuedo-intellectual and pithy on the other, the axiomatic tweet would be one of my favorites too.
The main thing I'm doing here is making an attempt to get people to create more variety in their tweetstream. This is one avenue for accomplishing that. When a good axiomatic tweet comes along, you know it.
The axiomatic tweet is just one possible type of tweet that can add variety and depth to a tweetstream… it is not a cure-all of some kind.
this is so gay