We made an attempt to remedy recent confusing treatments of some basic
relativistic concepts and results. Following the argument presented in an
earlier paper (Redzic 2008b), we discussed the misconceptions that are
recurrent points in the literature devoted to teaching relativity such as:
there is no change in the object in Special Relativity, illusory character of
relativistic length contraction, stresses and strains induced by Lorentz
contraction, and related issues. We gave several examples of the traps of
everyday language that lurk in Special Relativity. To remove a possible
conceptual and terminological muddle, we made a distinction between the
relativistic length reduction and relativistic FitzGerald-Lorentz
contraction, corresponding to a passive and an active aspect of length
contraction, respectively; we pointed out that both aspects have fundamental
dynamical contents. As an illustration of our considerations, we discussed
briefly the Dewan-Beran-Bell spaceship paradox and the ?pole in a barn?
paradox.