Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

curiosity great generous minds passion

“Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

hate mankind best know bad

“I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

men women overmatch weak ignorant

“Men know that women are an overmatch for them, and therefore they choose the weakest or the most ignorant. If they did not think so, they never could be afraid of women knowing as much as themselves.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

write effort read pleasure

“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

curiosity permanent characteristic vigorous intellect

“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

congratulations manuscript good original

“My congratulations to you, sir. Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

bed twelve o'clock scoundrel

“Whoever thinks of going to bed before twelve o'clock is a scoundrel.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

diligence skill trenght perseverance

“Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

writer time reading library book

“The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write: a man will turn over half a library to make one book.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

knowledge two kinds subject find information

“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

wine disadvantage mistake word thought

“This is one of the disadvantages of wine, it makes a man mistake words for thoughts.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

read composition writing passage fine strike out

“Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

author writer engage power new familiar

“The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

best knowing find

“The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find it.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

remind inform

“Men more frequently require to be reminded than informed.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

quotation compliment author

“Quotation is the highest compliment you can pay an author.”

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

aspiration possibility

"Our aspirations are our possibilities."

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

true measure man treat good

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

exert talents retire world sorry

"Exert your talents, and distinguish yourself, and don't think of retiring from the world, until the world will be sorry that you retire."

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

future purchase present

"The future is purchased by the present."

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

man pwaste life display quality possess

"Almost every man wastes part of his life attempting to display qualities which he does not possess."

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

decent provision poor test civilization

"A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization."

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

majority reason opinion fashion

"The majority have no other reason for their opinions than that they are the fashion."

― Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)