Quotes by Samuel Johnson

The usual fortune of complaint is to excite contempt more than pity.

A man may be so much of everything that he is nothing of everything.

When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight it concentrates his mind wonderfully.

Shame arises from the fear of man conscience from the fear of God.

That is the happiest conversation where there is no competition no vanity but a calm quiet interchange of sentiments.

John Wesleys conversation is good but he is never at leisure. He is always obliged to go at a certain hour. This is very disagreeable to a man who loves to fold his legs and have his talk out as I do.

Every man who attacks my belief diminishes in some degree my confidence in it and therefore makes me uneasy and I am angry with him who makes me uneasy.

Courage is a quality so necessary for maintaining virtue that it is always respected even when it is associated with vice.

Courage is the greatest of all the virtues. Because if you havent courage you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.

Courage is a quality so necessary for maintaining virtue that it is always respected even when it is associated with vice.

None are happy but by the anticipation of change. The change itself is nothing when we have made it the next wish is to change again.

Such is the state of life that none are happy but by the anticipation of change. The change itself is nothing. When we have made it the next wish is to change again.

Nothing at all will be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.

Our desires always increase with our possessions. The knowledge that something remains yet unenjoyed impairs our enjoyment of the good before us.

Many things difficult to design prove easy to performance.

Moderation is commonly firm and firmness is commonly successful.

Abstinence is as easy for me as temperance would be difficult.

One of the disadvantages of wine is that is makes a man mistake words for thoughts.

For a man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner.

There is less flogging in our great schools than formerly but then less is learned there so that what the boys get at one end they lose at the other.