Literary notes about Contradict (AI summary)
The word "contradict" in literature often serves as a means to highlight conflict—whether between characters, within ideas, or even within a single statement. In one case, it underscores the potential danger of disagreeing with a powerful figure, suggesting that mere differences in opinion might lead to peril ([1]). In dialogues, authors use it to expose inconsistencies and force introspection; characters may be chided for contradicting themselves or others, thus emphasizing the tension between words and actions ([2], [3]). Meanwhile, in philosophical treatises, the term raises broader questions about logic and morality, as seen in discussions about universal principles that must not contradict themselves ([4]). Moreover, its use in narrative banter and reflective passages can introduce both humor and dramatic irony, inviting readers to consider the multifaceted nature of truth and belief ([5], [6], [7]).
- 'No, Sir, you would not be safe if another man had a mind perversely to contradict.
— from Boswell's Life of Johnson by James Boswell - “How!” said Allworthy; “you contradict yourself.”
— from History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding - "My love you contradict every body," said his wife with her usual laugh.
— from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - Then I see at once that it could never hold as a universal law of nature, but would necessarily contradict itself.
— from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant - “To contradict it?” “No, to laugh at it.”
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)
— from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - Whether will Socrates the wise know that I am jesting, and contradict myself, or shall I deceive him and all who hear me?
— from Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates by Plato
