Literary notes about Useful (AI summary)
In literature, "useful" serves as a versatile descriptor that underscores both practical utility and moral or intellectual value. It is employed to highlight the beneficial qualities of subjects ranging from scientific disciplines—such as geography being both “useful and interesting” [1] or hygiene being “the only useful part of medicine” [2]—to human relationships and character, with individuals noted for their contributions to society [3] or personal growth [4]. Philosophical texts even scrutinize its inherent value, pondering whether things are good because they are useful or vice versa [5]. Thus, across genres and eras, "useful" conveys a sense of necessary practicality while also inviting reflection on what qualities justify its designation.
- And I can tell you something about Geography too,–that's about the world we live in,–very useful and interesting.
— from The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot - Hygiene is the only useful part of medicine, and hygiene is rather a virtue than a science.
— from Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Tommy is the most useful person in London.
— from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde - She wished for a moment that she had not been there—and then it occurred to her that she might be useful by and by.
— from A True Friend: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant - So every man, according to his emotions, judges a thing to be good or bad, useful or useless.
— from Ethics by Benedictus de Spinoza
