Literary notes about testing (AI summary)
The term “testing” in literature is used with remarkable versatility, signifying both literal trials and metaphorical examinations of strength, character, and ideas. In historical and military narratives, testing often depicts actual challenges—a cavalry assessing enemy columns in battle [1] or an army gauging its resolve in the midst of a civil war [2, 3]. In scientific and technical works, it carries the connotation of systematic experimentation, from verifying the performance of dynamos [4] and technical devices [5] to the careful testing of hypotheses [6, 7]. Educational and philosophical texts, such as those by John Dewey, invoke “testing” as an essential part of inquiry and self-improvement [8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13], while in literature it can also symbolize a personal trial of faith or character [14, 15, 16]. Even in more quotidian contexts—from the precise art of coffee cup-testing [17, 18, 19] to the spontaneous challenges of childhood exploration [20]—“testing” emerges as a tool to measure and understand the quality or essence of what is at stake.
- During the day the cavalry was actively engaged between the Rappahannock and the Rapidan, testing the strength of the enemy’s columns.
— from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass - He did not give battle, for the situation was unsuitable, but by way of testing his enemy's disposition he laid waste the country.
— from Dio's Rome, Volume 1 by Cassius Dio Cocceianus - Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation—or any nation so conceived and so dedicated—can long endure.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - 8vo, *2 50 —— Practical Testing of Dynamos and Motors.
— from Short-Title Catalog of Publications and Importations of Scientific and Engineering Books (August 1910) by D. Van Nostrand Company - If you don't know what communication port the modem has been connected to, you have to find out by testing.
— from The Online World by Odd De Presno - And it seems as if in answering such a question as this we might proceed exactly as does the physical philosopher in testing an hypothesis.
— from The Will to Believe, and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy by William James - It is only by the successive testing of hypotheses and rejection of the false that truth is at last elicited.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer - Getting command of technique and of methods of reaching and testing generalizations is at first secondary to getting appreciation.
— from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey - Children engage, unconstrainedly and continually, in reflective inspection and testing for the sake of what they are interested in doing successfully.
— from How We Think by John Dewey - The technique is acquired independently of the purposes of discovery and testing which alone give it meaning.
— from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey - Only by a pupil's own observations, reflections, framing and testing of suggestions can what he already knows be amplified and rectified.
— from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey - The intensive study is necessary for limiting the problem, and for securing the conditions of experimental testing.
— from How We Think by John Dewey - Science has been defined in terms of method of inquiry and testing.
— from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey - How often do we deliberately weigh such a choice as we would that of another person, testing our inclination by solid reason?
— from The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner by Charles Dudley Warner - An intuitive conviction came to me that Sri Yukteswar was merely testing the depth of Sasi's faith in the divine healing power.
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda - According to his belief, God had created woman for the sole purpose of tempting and testing man.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - Cup-testing calls for keenly developed senses of sight, smell, and taste, and the faculty for remembering delicate shadings in each sense.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - Grading and Testing in Brazil Having bought a lot of coffee, the exporter's next step is to grade and to test it.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - The morning examinations are more thorough, some progressive exporting houses even cup-testing the samples.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - [8] The most casual notice of the activities of a young child reveals a ceaseless display of exploring and testing activity.
— from How We Think by John Dewey
