Word: trivialness
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Dates: during 1880-1889
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...story the Mahabharata is interesting and consistent. As its name teils, it describes the greatest war of King Bharata, a war which was trivial both in its causes and its effects. The tale runs about as follows: King Bharata sees his end drawing near, and divides his kingdom amongst his sons and nephews. His eldest son, Udostheera, a man of spotless character, was dominated by the master passion of gambling. Udostheera lost all his property, his wealth, his lands and his kingdom, and finally he agrees to leave his kingdom and to live with his four brothers and his wife...
...representatives of a compact body of men" who are "determined to win." The next topic is the new regulations of the faculty, which are criticised in the same vein as the other restrictive rules and recommendations. They are pronounced "inconsistent with our character of a university, and petty, trivial, and unjust." The last subject of discussion is the mass meeting of April 15. The Advocate voices the opinion of the college in condemning emphatically the efforts to prevent discussion, and rush the matters to a vote immediately, on the excuse of "secrecy and diplomacy...
...there are at the weekly shoots, the more pleasant they are, as everyone knows who was on the grounds February 22d. If interest enough were taken every shoot might be just as pleasant, and men would go gladly, instead of forgetting about the meetings, or making up some trivial excuse for their absence...
...numerous, but of these only, four need now be considered: (1) Singleness of purpose, the only object being the attainment of truth. All preconceived notions liable to mislead must be laid aside. (2) Directness of aim. One must not be diverted by other interests. (3) Thoroughness. Every point, however trivial, must be examined carefully, and always with a due sense of proportion. (4) Fearlessness. Compliance with these demands, which are made by the scientific method on all of its willing students, must produce marked effects on character. The most prominent of these are: (1) the substitution of enthusiasm for indifference...
...read gives to man, whatever his other acquirements, the solid basis for an education, yet the library-the greater opportunity here-is neither fully nor wisely used. Before men have learned to choose, they are injured by the tremendous mass offered to them, much of which is trivial, much enervating, much even bad. For reading, like the choice of friends, is serious; no gentleman can spend time upon low-minded books. And the time spent merely upon what is trivial is a real loss. It keeps men from acquiring a taste for the best...