Samuel Johnson Quotes

The world is seldom what it seems; to man, who dimly sees, realities appear as dreams, and dreams realities.

Levellers wish to level down as far as themselves; but they cannot bear levelling up to themselves.

We suffer equal pain from the pertinacious adhesion of unwelcome images, as from the evanescence of those which are pleasing and useful.

Treating your adversary with respect is giving him an advantage to which he is not entitled.

It is, however, not necessary, that a man should forbear to write, till he has discovered some truth unknown before; he may be sufficiently useful, by only diversifying the surface of knowledge, and luring the mind by a new appearance to a second view of those beauties which it had passed over inattentively before.

Criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle, was meant as a standard of judging well.

The relief of enemies has a tendency to unite mankind in fraternal affection.

Difficult do you call it, Sir? I wish it were impossible.

Of all kinds of credulity, the most obstinate is that of party-spirit; of men, who, being numbered, they know not why, in any party, resign the use of their own eyes and ears, and resolve to believe nothing that does not favor those whom they profess to follow.

Every human being whose mind is not debauched, will be willing to give all that he has to get knowledge.

To excite opposition and inflame malevolence is the unhappy privilege of courage made arrogant by consciousness of strength.

By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.

When any calamity is suffered, the first thing to be remembered is, how much has been escaped.

A man may be very sincere in good principles, without having good practice.

All knowledge is of itself of some value. There is nothing so minute or inconsiderable, that I would not rather know it than not. In the same manner, all power, of whatever sort, is of itself desirable. A man would not submit to learn to hem a ruffle, of his wife, or his wife's maid; but if a mere wish could attain it, he would rather wish to be able to hem a ruffle.

Spite and ill-nature are among the most expensive luxuries in life.

The purpose of a writer is to be read, and the criticism which would destroy the power of pleasing must be blown aside

A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.

Nothing is more idle than to inquire after happiness, which nature has kindly placed within our reach.

People in distress never think that you feel enough.

Pope had been flattered till he thought himself one of the moving powers of the system of life. When he talked of laying down his pen, those who sat round him intreated and implored; and self-love did not suffer him to suspect that they went away and laughed.

Social sorrow loses half its pain.

The complaint, therefore, that all topicks are preoccupied, is nothing more than the murmur of ignorance or idleness, by which some discourage others, and some themselves; the mutability of mankind will always furnish writers with new images, and the luxuriance of fancy may always embellish them with new decorations.

There is less flogging in our great schools than formerly-but then less is learned there; so what the boys get at one end they lose at the other.

There are goods so opposed that we cannot seize both, but, by too much prudence, may pass between them at too great a distance to reach either.

Advice is offensive, it shows us that we are known to others as well as to ourselves.

Power is gradually stealing away from the many to the few, because the few are more vigilant and consistent.

To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labor tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecution.

We seldom learn the true want of what we have till it is discovered that we can have no more.

Liberty is, to the lowest rank of every nation, little more than the choice of working or starving.

The love of life is necessary to the vigorous prosecution of any undertaking

Health is certainly more valuable than money, because it is by health that money is procured.

Every quotation contributes something to the stability or enlargement of language.

Philosophy has often attempted to repress insolence by asserting that all conditions are leveled by death; a position which, however it may defect the happy, will seldom afford much comfort to the wretched.

No man is without some quality, by the due application of which he might deserve well of the world; and whoever he be that has but little in his power should be in haste to do that little, lest he be confounded with him that can do nothing.

Prejudice, not being founded on reason, cannot be removed by argument.

The gratification which affluence of wealth, extent of power, and eminence of reputation confer, must be always, by their own nature, confined to a very small number; and the life of the greater part of mankind must be lost in empty wishes and painful comparisons, were not the balm of philosophy shed upon us, and our discontent at the appearances of unequal distribution soothed and appeased.

Among the numerous requisites that must concur to complete an author, few are of more importance than an early entrance into the living world. The seed of knowledge may be planted in solitude, but must be cultivated in public. Argumentation may be taught in colleges, and theories formed in retirement; but the artifice of embellishment and the powers of attraction can be gained only by a general converse.

The diversion of baiting an author has the sanction of all ages and nations, and is more lawful than the sport of teasing other animals, because, for the most part, he comes voluntarily to the stake, furnished, as he imagines, by the patron powers of literature, with resistless weapons, and impenetrable armour, with the mail of the boar of Erymanth, and the paws of the lion of Nemea.

He to whom many objects of pursuit arise at the same time, will frequently hesitate between different desires till a rival has precluded him, or change his course as new attractions prevail, and harass himself without advancing.

It is as bad as bad can be: it is ill-fed, ill-killed, ill-kept, and ill-drest.

The charm of London is that you are never glad or sorry for ten minutes together; in the country you are one or the other for weeks.

We never do anything consciously for the last time without sadness of heart.

Probably no one will ever know whether it is better to wear a nightcap or not.

Of many, imagined blessings it may be doubted whether he that wants or possesses them had more reason to be satisfied with his lot.

In a Man's Letters you know, Madam, his soul lies naked, his letters are only the mirrour of his breast.

The mental disease of the present generation is impatience of study, contempt of the great masters of ancient wisdom, and a disposition to rely wholly upon unassisted genius and natural sagacity. The wits of these happy days have discovered a way to fame, which the dull caution of our laborious ancestors durst never attempt; they cut the knots of sophistry, which it was formerly the business of years to untie, solve difficulties by sudden irradiations of intelligence, and comprehend long processes of argument by immediate intuition.

A contempt of the monuments and the wisdom of the past, may be justly reckoned one of the reigning follies of these days, to which pride and idleness have equally contributed.