It is the only time when I don’t feel a schism in my soul.
It is the only time when I don’t feel a schism of the soul.
Looking at the dictionary meaning (linked), schism seems to have a political or religious context. So can it be used the way it has been in the given sentence? If not, what other words could be used in its place?
Answer
I think this a very proper use. Although historically the word entered the English language to signify a division of spiritual or political allegiance, it has been used since the middle of the 19th century with more personal reference:
It is a prejudice, as disastrous as it is unfounded, that there can be a schism between the heart and the intellect, to the advantage of either. –cited in OED 1
Schism suggests something more profound and radical than, say, division or ambivalence.
I prefer schism in
, reflecting division or cleft or crack in.Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Soulz , Answer Author : StoneyB on hiatus
