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
There mark what ills the scholar's life assail, toil, envy, want, and patron.
Of many, imagined blessings it may be doubted whether he that wants or possesses them had more reason to be satisfied with his lot.
No degree of knowledge attainable by man is able to set him above the want of hourly assistance.
It is very natural for young men to be vehement, acrimonious and severe. For as they seldom comprehend at once all the consequences of a position, or perceive the difficulties by which cooler and more experienced reasoners are restrained from confidence, they form their conclusions with great precipitance. Seeing nothing that can darken or embarrass the question, they expect to find their own opinion universally prevalent, and are inclined to impute uncertainty and hesitation to want of honesty, rather than of knowledge.
The advice that is wanted is commonly not welcome and that which is not wanted, evidently an effrontery.
If you want to be a writer, then write. Write every day!
There may be other reasons for a man's not speaking in publick than want of resolution: he may have nothing to say.
We seldom learn the true want of what we have till it is discovered that we can have no more.
Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion, and he whose real wants are supplied must admit those of fancy.
Life is a progress from want to want, not from enjoyment to enjoyment.
He that has once concluded it lawful to resist power, when it wants merit, will soon find a want of merit, to justify his resistance to power.
Politeness is fictitious benevolence. Depend upon it, the want of it never fails to produce something disagreeable to one or other.
Commerce can never be at a stop while one man wants what another can supply; and credit will never be denied, while it is likely to be repaid with profit.
Want of tenderness is want of parts, and is no less a proof of stupidity than depravity.