Literary notes about mistrust (AI summary)
The term "mistrust" appears in literature with striking versatility, serving both as a marker of interpersonal caution and an emblem of internal skepticism. Authors utilize the word to illustrate wariness toward authority or established norms, as seen when characters question traditional reputations [1, 2, 3] or are urged to be vigilant against their immediate environment [4, 5]. In narratives that explore the human condition, mistrust embodies the struggles of self-doubt and the cautious interrogation of one’s own motivations, evident in personal admonitions and reflective introspection [6, 7]. At the same time, mistrust underpins conflicts and relationships, signaling everything from protective suspicion in intimate bonds [8, 9] to broader societal disbelief [10, 11]. In this way, "mistrust" functions on multiple levels, acting as both a critical narrative tool and a mirror to the psychological and social complexities inherent in human interactions.
- A mistrust of established reputations was strictly in character with the Assistant Commissioner’s ability as detector.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad - Nothing moved in the parlour till Mrs Verloc raised her head slowly and looked at the clock with inquiring mistrust.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad - After this inspection she looked round thoughtfully, with an air of mistrust in the silence and solitude of the house.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad - —Inertia is active: (1) In confidence, because mistrust makes suspense, reflection, and observation necessary.
— from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book I and II by Nietzsche - All mistrust and hesitation were soon thrown aside, and the two men conversed long and freely upon the subject uppermost in their thoughts.
— from Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup - "It is my duty," said he, "to mistrust my own ability, that I may have trust in Him who is stronger than all."
— from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read by John Bunyan - “Mistrust yourself, John,” said he.
— from The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “I’d rather mistrust people than lose my little Ricketts.
— from Howards End by E. M. Forster - But that which gives me most trouble is, that you seem to mistrust the honesty of your child.
— from Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson - “And here... I am again on the same errand,” Raskolnikov continued, a little disconcerted and surprised at the old woman’s mistrust.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - We mistrust any form of culture that tolerates news-paper reading or writing.
— from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book I and II by Nietzsche
