Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson, often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson was a devout Anglican and committed Tory, and has been described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". He is also the subject of "the most famous single biographical work in the whole of literature," James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNon-Fiction Author
Date of Birth18 September 1709
Sir, you are giving a reason for it, but that will not make it right
Treating your adversary with respect is giving him an advantage to which he is not entitled.
Attention and respect give pleasure, however late, or however useless. But they are not useless, when they are late, it is reasonable to rejoice, as the day declines, to find that it has been spent with the approbation of mankind.
Men seldom give pleasure when they are not pleased themselves.
I have thought of a pulley to raise me gradually; but that would give me pain, as it would counteract my natural inclination. I would have something that can dissipate the inertia and give elasticity to the muscles. We can heat the body, we can cool it; we can give it tension or relaxation; and surely it is possible to bring it into a state in which rising from bed will not be a pain.
I would not give half a guinea to live under one form of government rather than another. It is of no moment to the happiness of an individual.
Being reproached for giving to an unworthy person, Aristotle said, I did not give it to the man, but to humanity.
No, Sir, you will have much more influence by giving or lending money where it is wanted, than by hospitality.
We have now learned that rashness and imprudence will not be deterred from taking credit; let us try whether fraud and avarice may be more easily restrained from giving it.
Go into the street, and give one man a lecture on morality, and another a shilling, and see which will respect you most.
Let him that desires to see others happy, make haste to give while his gift can be enjoyed, and remember that every moment of delay takes away something from the value of his benefaction.
You are much surer that you are doing good when you pay money to those who work, as the recompense of their labor, than when you give money merely in charity.
Nature makes us poor only when we want necessaries, but custom gives the name of poverty to the want of superfluities.
I have already enjoyed too much; give me something to desire.