Samuel Johnson Quotes

He that fails in his endeavors after wealth or pow... -Samuel Johnson

He that fails in his endeavors after wealth or power will not long retain either honesty or courage.

All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and ha... -Samuel Johnson

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.

Man alone is born crying, lives complaining, and d... -Samuel Johnson

Man alone is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed.

What is easy is seldom excellent.

It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time.

Words are but the signs of ideas.

Treating your adversary with respect is striking s... -Samuel Johnson

Treating your adversary with respect is striking soft in battle.

There are few ways in which a man can be more inno... -Samuel Johnson

There are few ways in which a man can be more innocently employed than in getting money.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Discovering the context

This quote, attributed to Samuel Johnson, criticizes the idea that some individuals may exploit or manipulate patriotic sentiments for their own selfish or dishonest purposes. It suggests a cynical view of patriotism.

You cannot spend money in luxury without doing good to the poor. Nay, you do more good to them by spending it in luxury, than by giving it; for by spending it in luxury, you make them exert industry, whereas by giving it, you keep them idle.

Friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absence, though it may be increased by short intermissions.

Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of th... -Samuel Johnson

Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise.

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, sir, should keep his friendship in a constant repair.

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

Were it not for imagination a man would be as happ... -Samuel Johnson

Were it not for imagination a man would be as happy in arms of a chambermaid as of a duchess.

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.

Subordination tends greatly to human happiness. Were we all upon an equality, we should have no other enjoyment than mere animal pleasure.

No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is no... -Samuel Johnson

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.

The natural flights of the human mind are not from... -Samuel Johnson

The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.

Exercise is labor without weariness.

Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.

Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chanc... -Samuel Johnson

Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.

Discovering the context

Drawing a metaphorical comparison between being on a ship and being confined in a jail, while acknowledging the inherent risk of drowning at sea.

Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.

Discovering the context

This quote suggests that poetry has the unique ability to combine aesthetic delight and emotional pleasure with the pursuit of truth and deeper understanding. It implies that poetry can evoke joy, beauty, and emotional resonance while also exploring profound truths, philosophical concepts, or profound human experiences.

The true art of memory is the art of attention.

Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult.

Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified.

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great un... -Samuel Johnson

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.

Discovering the context

This quote emphasizes the importance of self-confidence in embarking on significant or challenging endeavors. It suggests that believing in oneself and one's abilities is a fundamental requirement for accomplishing great things. It underscores the role of self-assurance and belief in one's potential as a driving force for success.

It is better that some should be unhappy rather than that none should be happy, which would be the case in a general state of equality.

Samuel Johnson Quotes

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