Samuel Johnson (1709–84) was a British lexicographer, writer, critic, and conversationalist who made lasting contributions to English literature. Often referred to as Dr. Johnson, and regarded as the most significant intellectual in British history, he wrote many famous essays, sermons, poetry, biographies, literary criticisms, plays, and novels.
Johnson started writing in his mid-20s, publishing essays, poems, and prose. During his 30s, he contributed more than 200 essays to magazines and launched his colossal undertaking: an authoritative A Dictionary of the English Language (1755.) With the help of six clerical assistants, Johnson completed the lexicon in nine years. Published in two volumes, it contained more than 42,000 entries. This dictionary made Johnson famous, and it remains his most enduring accomplishment.
Despite his prodigious literary output, Johnson is most remembered not for anything he wrote, but for the biography that James Boswell (1740–95) composed of Johnson. Boswell idolized Johnson and kept scrupulously detailed diaries of his mannerisms, characteristics, routines, decisions, opinions, and everything else about his life. Boswell used these notes to write a comprehensive biography, The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791.) Owing to its thorough portrayal of its subject as a complete person and not just as a catalog of events and achievements in his life, The Life of Samuel Johnson is regarded the definitive precursor to modern biographies. Boswell’s records of Johnson’s numerous aphorisms also made him one of the most-quoted writers in the English language.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Samuel Johnson
The best of conversations occur when there is no competition, no vanity, but a calm quiet interchange of sentiments.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Love
Hope is necessary in every condition. The miseries of poverty, of sickness, or captivity, would, without this comfort, be insupportable; nor does it appear that the happiest lot of terrestrial existence can set us above the want of this general blessing; or that life, when the gifts of nature and of fortune are accumulated upon it, would not still be wretched, were it not elevated and delighted by the expectation of some new possession, of some enjoyment yet behind, by which the wish shall at last be satisfied, and the heart filled up to its utmost extent.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Hope
The future is purchased by the present.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: The Future, Future, Present
Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Courage
Getting money is not all a man’s business; to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Kindness
Few men survey themselves with so much severity as not to admit prejudices in their own favor.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Self-Discovery
What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Effort
Life is a progress from want to want, not from enjoyment to enjoyment.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Appreciation, Blessings, Desires, Gratitude, Desire
Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Role models
Knowledge is more than equivalent to force. The master of mechanics laughs at strength.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Knowledge
It is strange that there should be so little reading in the world, and so much writing. People in general do not willingly read, if they can have any thing else to amuse them.
—Samuel Johnson
Liberty is, to the lowest rank of every nation, little more than the choice of working or starving.
—Samuel Johnson
Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult.
—Samuel Johnson
The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find it.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Virtues, Knowledge
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. He that labors in any great or laudable undertaking has his fatigues first supported by hope and afterward rewarded by joy.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Life, Success & Failure, Pleasure, Sin, Achievement, Difficulties, Success
Hope is itself a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Happiness, Expectation, Aspirations, Hope
A man guilty of poverty easily believes himself suspected.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Poverty
Prudence is an attitude that keeps life safe, but does not often make it happy.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Security, Risk
An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.
—Samuel Johnson
I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Conversation
The joy of life is variety; the tenderest love requires to be renewed by intervals of absence.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Absence
A man may be so much of every thing, that he is nothing of any thing.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Self-Discovery
Authors and lovers always suffer some infatuation, from which only absence can set them free.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Writing
Many things difficult in design prove easy in performance.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Performance, Planning, Design
It is better to live rich than to die rich.
—Samuel Johnson
Among the calamities of war, may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth, by the falsehoods which interest dictates, and credulity encourages.
—Samuel Johnson
A fly may sting a stately horse and make him wince; but one is but an insect, and the other is a horse still.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Cruelty
Courage is a quality so necessary for maintaining virtue that it is always respected, even when it is associated with vice.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Bravery, Courage
There is no people, rude or learned, among whom apparitions of the dead are not related and believed.
—Samuel Johnson
A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the full value of time and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Forgiveness
Where there is no difficulty there is no praise.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Difficulty, Proverbs, Praise
The longer we live the more we think and the higher the value we put on friendship and tenderness towards parents and friends.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Values, Value
Those indeed who attain any excellence commonly spend life in one pursuit, for excellence is not often gained upon easier terms.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Dedication, Goals, Excellence, Aspirations
To convince any man against his will is hard, but to please him against his will is justly pronounced by Dryden to be above the reach of human abilities.
—Samuel Johnson
Life admits not of delays; when pleasure can be had, it is fit to catch it. Every hour takes away part of the things that please us, and perhaps part of our disposition to be pleased.
—Samuel Johnson
A wicked fellow is the most pious when he takes to it. He’ll beat you all at piety.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Religion
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.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Poverty
Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Success & Failure, Doubt, Achievement, Risk-taking
To strive with difficulties, and to conquer them, is the highest human felicity.
—Samuel Johnson
If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Perseverance, Determination
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