Literary notes about Misuse (AI summary)
Across literature, the term "misuse" has been employed to signal both moral, intellectual, and practical transgressions in the proper application of words, concepts, and actions. In some works, authors evoke a call for the proper use of language and ideas—for instance, in Inazo Nitobe’s emphasis on the rightful use of customs contrasted with their misuse [1] or William Strunk’s caution against misusing “point of view” as mere opinion [2]. Philosophers like Schopenhauer also note misuse when critiquing Kant’s use of language, indicating that such deviations merit attention and further analysis [3, 4]. At the same time, the term appears in more dramatic and artistic contexts: Shakespeare employs it to nuance character interactions in "Othello" [5] and "Much Ado about Nothing" [6], while figures like Freud and Shaw extend the idea to domains such as psychoanalysis and social criticism [7, 8, 9]. Thus, literary and philosophical texts alike use "misuse" as a device to highlight errors that range from linguistic imprecision to ethical breaches, underscoring its versatility as both a critical tool and a thematic motif.
- As it laid great stress on its proper use, so did it denounce and abhor its misuse.
— from Bushido, the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe - Write point of view , but do not misuse this, as many do, for view or opinion .
— from The Elements of Style by William Strunk - Of Kant's misuse of the word I take no further notice; what it is needful to say about it will be found in the Appendix.
— from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer - The reader must not think here of Kant's misuse of these Greek terms, which is condemned in the Appendix.
— from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer - How have I been behav'd, that he might stick The small'st opinion on my least misuse?
— from Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare - Proof enough to misuse the Prince, to vex Claudio, to undo Hero, and kill Leonato.
— from Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare - In anaesthetic or only slightly libidinous women, such misuse will not carry such consequences.
— from A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud - [He begins to sing in a nasal operatic baritone, tremulous from an eternity of misuse in the French manner].
— from Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy by Bernard Shaw - Misuse of psychoanalysis is possible in various ways; above all, transference is a dangerous remedy in the hands of an unconscientious physician.
— from A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud
