Serbian aphorist Aleksander Cotric (see p. 30 of Geary’s Guide) is back with some Forbidden Thoughts, his new collection of aphorisms. Fellow Serbian aphorist Aleksandar Baljak says Cotric “securely occupies the pinnacle of Serbian satirical literature.” That’s surely correct; these sharp sayings are not for the faint-hearted… Cotric’s aphorisms can also be found in Serbia’s Secret Weapon, a collection of Serbian anti-war aphorisms (which seems to have taken its title from one of the aphorisms below) compiled by Slobodan Simi?. He is also featured in Boris Mitic’s delightful documentary about the Belgrade Aphoristic Circle, Goodbye, How Are You? The aphorisms below were translated into English by Mirjana N. Mataric (with occasional editing by me).

Our country is in transition: It is disappearing from the map.

Nothing should slow us down; that’s why we have not opened our parachutes.

Our destiny would have been in our hands but we didn’t want to get them dirty.

Hatred cannot explode from us; it is too deep.

We are using our heads—to break the wall.

Nobody knows anything; that’s our secret weapon.