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Literary notes about Error (AI summary)

The word "error" in literature is a versatile term that captures both individual misjudgments and broader conceptual flaws. Authors have used it to express personal regret and accountability—as when a character reflects on a faulty judgment in trusting oneself [1] or confesses to having acted hastily [2]. At the same time, thinkers and critics employ "error" to challenge established ideas or technical inaccuracies, as seen in discussions ranging from miscalculations in cartography and historical data [3, 4, 5] to critiques of religious or philosophical doctrines [6, 7, 8]. In more poetic and metaphorical settings, the term transcends its literal meaning to highlight a deeper divergence from truth or ideal form, inviting readers to reflect on the interplay between human fallibility and the pursuit of knowledge [9, 10, 11]. This rich tapestry of usage underscores the term’s enduring power as a device for exploring the consequences of mistakes, whether in the realm of personal behavior or in the fabric of cultural and intellectual life [12, 13, 14].
  1. I committed one error in trusting myself to such a blindfold calculation of chances as this.
    — from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
  2. “Be careful, Valentine,” said Morrel, hesitating to comply with the young girl’s wishes; “I now see my error—I acted like a madman in coming in here.
    — from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet
  3. [75] While this Cook cartography fixed Bering's place of landing too far east, the Russians committed the opposite error.
    — from Vitus Bering: the Discoverer of Bering Strait by Peter Lauridsen
  4. [492] All manuscripts agree in giving this number, but critics agree also in its being an error for 365.
    — from The Geography of Strabo, Volume 3 (of 3) by Strabo
  5. [40] Presumably an error for the Nestus , a well-known stream.
    — from Dio's Rome, Volume 1 by Cassius Dio Cocceianus
  6. One would certainly commit the gravest error if he saw only this one aspect of religion, or if he even exaggerated its importance.
    — from The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim
  7. But when there is no schism, and error is in question, miracle decides.
    — from Pascal's Pensées by Blaise Pascal
  8. * The following remarks must be made in order that we may not fall into the common error of confusing the republican with the democratic constitution.
    — from Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Essay by Immanuel Kant
  9. Knowing Truth, thy heart no more Will ache with error, for the Truth shall show All things subdued to thee, as thou to Me.
    — from The Song Celestial; Or, Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata)
  10. The error is needed to set off the truth, much as a dark background is required for exhibiting the brightness of a picture.
    — from The Will to Believe, and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy by William James
  11. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  12. There is a way of encountering error while on one’s way to the truth.
    — from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
  13. There is a huge error which it may take some little time to rectify.
    — from Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
  14. So far from having long understood you, I have been in a most complete error with respect to your views, till this moment.
    — from Emma by Jane Austen

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