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
If misery be the effect of virtue, it ought to be reverenced; if of ill-fortune, to be pitied; and if of vice, not to be insulted, because it is, perhaps, itself a punishment adequate to the crime by which it was produced; and the humanity of that man can deserve no panegyric who is capable of reproaching a criminal in the hands of the executioner.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Misery
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
To hear complaints is wearisome alike to the wretched and the happy.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Self-Pity, Hedonism
Quotation is the highest compliment you can pay to an author.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Quotations
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.
—Samuel Johnson
Merriment is always the effect of a sudden impression. The jest which is expected is already destroyed.
—Samuel Johnson
Tomorrow is an old deceiver, and his cheat never grows stale.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Cheating, Future, The Future
It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. In the same manner present opportunities are neglected and attainable good is slighted by minds busied in extensive ranges, and intent upon future advantages. Life, however short, is made shorter by waste of time.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Reality, The Present, Present, Opportunities, Opportunity
I have all my life long been lying in bed till noon; yet I tell all young men, and tell them with great sincerity, that nobody who does not rise early will ever do any good.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Advice
Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity. It becomes cheap as it becomes vulgar, and will no longer raise expectation or animate enterprise.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Praise, Value, Appreciation
Guilt has always its horrors and solicitudes; and, to make it yet more shameful and detestable, it is doomed often to stand in awe of those to whom nothing could give influence or weight but their power of betraying.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Guilt
No one will persist long in helping someone who will not help themselves.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Assistance, Aid, Help
A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table than when his wife talks Greek.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Wives, Marriage, Women
Advice is seldom welcome. Those who need it most, like it least.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Advice
Don’t think of retiring from the world until the world will be sorry that you retire. I hate a fellow whom pride or cowardice or laziness drive into a corner, and who does nothing when he is there but sit and growl. Let him come out as I do, and bark.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Cowardice, Coward, Retirement, Life
Without the intervention of the civil authority what would our percepts become?- Platonic laws
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Authority
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: Difficulties, Success & Failure, Success, Life, Pleasure, Wishes, New, Achievement, Sin
As to the rout that is made about people who are ruined by extravagance, it is no matter to the nation that some individuals suffer. When so much general productive exertion is the consequence of luxury, the nation does not care though there are debtors; nay, they would not care though their creditors were there too.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Excess
Pride is a vice, which pride itself inclines every man to find in others, and to overlook in himself.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Pride
Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Patriotism
Sir, that all who are happy, are equally happy, is not true. A peasant and a philosopher may be equally satisfied, but not equally happy. Happiness consists in the multiplicity of agreeable consciousness.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Happiness
I gleaned jests at home from obsolete farces.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Jokes, Humor
Gloomy calm of idle vacancy.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Idleness, One liners
In the bottle discontent seeks for comfort, cowardice for courage, and bashfulness for confidence
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Confidence
Combinations of wickedness would overwhelm the world, by the advantage which licentious principles afford, did not those who have long practised perfidy grow faithless to each other.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Helpfulness, Evil, Attitude, Wickedness
It generally happens that assurance keeps an even pace with ability.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Confidence
A vow is a snare for sin.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Promises
The highest panegyric, therefore, that private virtue can receive, is the praise of servants.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Service, Servants
Moderation is commonly firm, and firmness is commonly successful.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Moderation, Success
He that never labors may know the pains of idleness, but not the pleasures.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Labor
Nature makes us poor only when we want necessaries, but custom gives the name of poverty to the want of superfluities.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Poverty
He that is much flattered soon learns to flatter himself.—We are commonly taught our duty by fear or shame, but how can they act upon a man who hears nothing but his own praises?
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Flattery
Every man is of importance to himself.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Self-Discovery
A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Charity, Welfare, Poor
To strive with difficulties, and to conquer them, is the highest human felicity.
—Samuel Johnson
Were a man not to marry a second time, it might be concluded that his first wife had given him a disgust to marriage; but by taking a second wife, he pays the highest compliment to the first, by showing that she made him so happy as a married man, that he wishes to be so a second time.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Marriage
Life is but short; no time can be afforded but for the indulgence of real sorry, or contests upon questions seriously momentous. Let us not throw away any of our days upon useless resentment, or contend who shall hold out longest in stubborn malignity. It is best not to be angry; and best, in the next place, to be quickly reconciled.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Anger
Learn that the present hour alone is man’s.
—Samuel Johnson
Much may be made of a Scotchman, if he be caught young.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Nationalism, Nation, Nationalities, Nationality
None can be pleased without praise, and few can be praised without falsehood.
—Samuel Johnson
Topics: Praise
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