Literary notes about eccentricity (AI summary)
The term “eccentricity” has been deployed in literature to capture a wide range of human behavior and societal norms, often oscillating between a celebration of uniqueness and a warning against deviancy. In some contexts, atypical behavior marked by eccentricity is portrayed as almost sacred or inherently original—as when Dostoyevsky elevates it to a higher state ([1], [2])—or even as a harbinger of genius and creativity ([3], [4]). Yet, in other texts, many authors caution against it; several etiquette manuals advocate for conformity in behavior and dress to avoid the socially disruptive effects of eccentricity ([5], [6], [7], [8]). Meanwhile, literary depictions also reflect the irony of a society that both venerates and scorns eccentric individuals, as seen in character sketches that mix admiration with ridicule ([9], [10], [11]). In this multifaceted usage across stylistic and historical contexts—from sociological treatises to classic novels—eccentricity emerges as a complex marker of individuality that incites both wonder and admonition ([12], [13]).
- “No, it was something higher than eccentricity, and I assure you, something sacred even!
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Well, eccentricity then, let it stand at that.
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - In a small community it is the normal man, the man without eccentricity or genius, who seems most likely to succeed.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - And measuring originality by deviation from the mass breeds eccentricity in them.
— from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey - Avoid eccentricity either in dress, conversation, or manner.
— from The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness by Florence Hartley - Fashion —Do not be too submissive to the dictates of fashion; at the same time avoid oddity or eccentricity in your dress.
— from The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness by Florence Hartley - Wear what is becoming to yourself , and only bow to fashion enough to avoid eccentricity.
— from The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness by Florence Hartley - Avoid eccentricity; it marks, not the man of genius, but the fool.
— from The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness by Cecil B. Hartley - Everything in Socrates is exaggeration, eccentricity, caricature; he is a buffoon with the blood of Voltaire in his veins.
— from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book I and II by Nietzsche - Now, Dr. Heidegger was a very strange old gentleman whose eccentricity had become the nucleus for a thousand fantastic stories.
— from Twice-told tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne - He wasn't a sailor, or one might pardon his eccentricity of appearance; he must belong to the over-harbor clans.
— from Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery - A man who does that is always charged with eccentricity, inconsistency, and that kind of thing.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - "It is an age of eccentricity, an abnormal era of the world's history.
— from Lady Audley's Secret by M. E. Braddon
