aph·o·rism [ˈafəˌrizəm]
NOUN
a pithy observation that contains a general truth, a statement of some general principle, expressed memorably by condensing much wisdom into few words. Examples:
“The child is father to the man.” (William Wadsworth)
“Power worship blurs political judgment because it leads, almost unavoidably, to the belief that present trends will continue. Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible.” (George Orwell)
“Sure he [Astaire] was great, but don’t forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did … backwards and in high heels” (Bob Thaves)