Samuel Johnson

England
18 Sep 1709 // 13 Dec 1784
Writer

Quotes

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The man who feels himself ignorant should, at least, be modest
The inevitable consequence of poverty is dependence
The great source of pleasure is variety
The general remedy of those who are uneasy without knowing the cause is change of place
The future is purchased by the present
The commodiousness of money is indeed great; but there are some advantages which money cannot buy, and which therefore no wise man will by the love of money be tempted to forego
The chains of custom are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken
The care of the critic should be to distinguish error from inability, faults of inexperience from defects of nature
That friendship may be at once fond and lasting, there must not only be equal virtue on each part, but virtue of the same kind; not only the same end must be proposed but the same means must be approved by both
Suspicion is not less an enemy to virtue than to happiness; he that is already corrupt is naturally suspicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly become corrupt
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays