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Literary notes about Foolish (AI summary)

The word "foolish" in literature often carries a multifaceted tone, ranging from lighthearted teasing to severe moral censure. Authors employ it to highlight characters' imprudent actions or misguided passions, whether it’s the self-admonition in a moment of regret [1, 2] or a pointed critique of societal or royal folly [3, 4]. In sacred texts and moral treatises, it underscores the contrast between wisdom and folly, serving as a cautionary marker against shortsighted behavior [5, 6, 7]. Meanwhile, in narratives that blend humor with insight, the term encapsulates a kind of endearing yet critical vulnerability, revealing the intricate interplay between human vanity and the lessons of life [8, 9].
  1. It was foolish of me, and yet I couldn't help it.
    — from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  2. My foolish fondness for that boy blinded the eyes of my prudence—but it is better as it is.
    — from The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
  3. And yet the foolish king Jayadratha had carried her away by force.
    — from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1
  4. He was in his disposition a proud and a foolish man, and lost [part of his] dominions by not hearkening to his father's friends.
    — from Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus
  5. For you gladly suffer the foolish: whereas yourselves are wise.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  6. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish: for I will say the truth.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  7. But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  8. "You are foolish, Jim, utterly foolish; a bad-tempered boy, that is all.
    — from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  9. And how many other foolish things I did!
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

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