Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (American Humorist)

Josh Billings (1818–85,) pseudonym of Henry Wheeler Shaw, was an American humorist. His philosophical remarks, published as newspaper articles, books, and comic lectures, were widely popular after the Civil War, perhaps second only to Mark Twain. Shaw’s reputation has not endured so well with later generations.

Born in Lanesboro, Massachusetts, Shaw tried various livelihoods before becoming an auctioneer and a land agent in Poughkeepsie, New York. At age forty-five, he started contributing humorous columns to a local newspaper under the name “Josh Billings.” They didn’t appeal until he altered his style and began using phonetic spelling to signify a rural dialect. He changed an article he had written as “Essay on the Mule” to “A Essa on the Meul bi Josh Billings”—this was printed in a New York City newspaper and made him immediately well known.

A popular newspaper columnist, Shaw published lighthearted almanacs and collections of wisecracks. He relied heavily on purposeful misspelling, fractured grammar, malapropisms, futile logic, and anticlimax. This technique was widespread among contemporaneous comic writers who assumed the role of “cracker-barrel philosophers.”

Shaw’s popular books included Josh Billings, His Sayings (1866,) Josh Billings on Ice (1868,) Josh Billings’ Farmers’ Allminax (1870,) Everybody’s Friend (1874,) Josh Billings’ Trump Kards (1877,) Old Probability: Perhaps Rain—Perhaps Not (1879,) and Josh Billings Struggling with Things (1881.)

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)

About the only difference between the poor and the rich, is this, the poor suffer misery, while the rich have to enjoy it.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Wealth, Riches

Laughter is the sensation of feeling good all over and showing it principally in one place.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Laughter, Feelings

If it wasn’t for faith, there would be no living in this world; we couldn’t even eat hash with any safety.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Belief, Faith

Faith is the soul riding at anchor.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Faith, Belief

Prejudice assumes the garb of reason, but the cheat is too thin.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Prejudice

When a man comes to me for advice, I find out the kind of advice he wants, and I give it to him.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Advice

The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time you feel you must say something or bust. – Billings, Josh
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Self-Control, Control

Men mourn for what they have lost; women for what they ain’t got.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Men & Women, Men, Women

Our necessities are few, but our wants are endless.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Thought, Necessity, Desires, Desire, Reason

It ain’t often that a man’s reputation outlasts his money.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Reputation

To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way—yourself once in a while.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Parenting, Children

Words are often seen hunting for an idea, but ideas are never seen hunting for words.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Words

Incredulity is the wisdom of the fool.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Belief, Fools

There are people who are always anticipating trouble, and in this way they manage to enjoy many sorrows that never really happen to them.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Trouble, Worry

As a general thing, when the woman wears the pants in the family, she has a good right to them.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Marriage

Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Common Sense, Common Sense

Knowledge is like money: the more he gets, the more he craves.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Knowledge

It is a very delicate job to forgive a man, without lowering him in his own estimation, and yours too.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Forgiveness

The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his way.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Fools, Foolishness

It’s not only the most difficult thing to know one’s self, but the most inconvenient.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Discovery, Self-Discovery, Identity, Self-Knowledge

Common Sense is instinct, and enough of it is genius.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Common Sense

Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Right, Conscience

Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff he’s made of.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)

I honestly believe it is better to know nothing than to know what ain’t so.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Attitude, Knowledge

A slander is like a hornet; if you can’t kill it dead the first time, better not strike at it.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Insults

Take the selfishness out of this world and there would be more happiness than we should know what to do with.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Selfishness

In youth we run into difficulties. In old age difficulties run into us.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Difficulty, Youth, Aging, Age

If a man should happen to reach perfection in this world, he would have to die immediately to enjoy himself.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Perfection

The man who ain’t got an enemy is really poor.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Enemy

A good way I know to find happiness, is to not bore a hole to fit the plug.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Topics: Happiness

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