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Literary notes about stupid (AI summary)

In literature, the word “stupid” functions as a flexible tool that can denote both a lack of intelligence and a pointed social critique. At times, it is employed self-reflectively to express personal regret or admission of folly, as when a character laments, “It was stupid of me to say anything about it” [1] or exclaims in disbelief at his own decision [2]. In other moments, it serves as a dismissive descriptor aimed at others, capturing a mixture of irony and reproach—whether in addressing someone’s unsophisticated behavior [3], highlighting the absurdity of a situation [4], or critiquing broader societal shortcomings [5]. Throughout various works, “stupid” thus becomes more than a mere insult; it encapsulates complex attitudes toward human error, cultural norms, and the inevitable imperfections of life.
  1. It was stupid of me to say anything about it.”
    — from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  2. “How stupid I am!” thought Jean Valjean.
    — from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
  3. "Is she not better then?" "She never spoke but once, and I asked her if she felt a little more easy, and she told me to hold my stupid tongue.
    — from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
  4. "Stupid Devil," cried the soldier, "it won't do!
    — from Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
  5. Well, the Life Force is stupid; but it is not so stupid as the forces of Death and Degeneration.
    — from Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy by Bernard Shaw

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