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Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson Quotes

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Samuel Johnson was an English writer, poet, and lexicographer, renowned for his comprehensive English dictionary, 'A Dictionary of the English Language', published in 1755. His distinctive writing style and wit have cemented his place as a significant figure in the history of English literature.

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All Men May Mind Writing Ifs Pleasure Should Littles World Thinking Humans Knows Virtue Firsts Book Every Man Desire Happiness Reason Wish

Famous Samuel Johnson Quotes

“The complaint, therefore, that all topicks are preoccupied, is nothing more than the murmur of ignorance or idleness, by which some discourage others, and some themselves; the mutability of mankind will always furnish writers with new images, and the luxuriance of fancy may always embellish them with new decorations.”

Writing May Mankind Ignorance Fancy Originality Complaints Idleness Discouraging Decoration Mutability

Book:Selected essays

Source: Selected essays

“To exact of every man who writes that he should say something new, would be to reduce authors to a small number; to oblige the most fertile genius to say only what is new, would be to contract his volumes to a few pages. Yet, surely, there ought to be some bounds to repetition; libraries ought no more to be heaped for ever with the same thoughts differently expressed, than with the same books differently decorated.”

Source: The Rambler: A Periodical Paper, Published in 1750, 1751, 1752

“The liberty of the press is a blessing when we are inclined to write against others, and a calamity when we find ourselves overborne by the multitude of our assailants.”

Writing Values Liberty Blessing Presses Democratic Journalism Multitudes Calamity Freedom Of The Press

Book:The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With An Essay on His Life and Genius

Source: The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With An Essay on His Life and Genius

“The wickedness of a loose or profane author is more atrocious than that of a giddy libertine or drunken ravisher, not only because it extends its effects wider, as a pestilence that taints the air is more destructive than poison infused in a draught, but because it is committed with cool deliberation.”

Writing Air Influence Effects Committed Poison Destructive Wickedness Profane Deliberation Giddy Pestilence Draught Libertine

Book:The Rambler: In Four Volumes

Source: The Rambler: In Four Volumes

“The faults of a writer of acknowledged excellence are more dangerous, because the influence of his example is more extensive; and the interest of learning requires that they should be discovered and stigmatized, before they have the sanction of antiquity conferred upon them, and become precedents of indisputable authority.”

Should Writing Interest Influence Dangerous Example Authority Faults Excellence Sanctions Antiquity Precedent

Book:The Rambler

Source: The Rambler

“You may abuse a tragedy, though you cannot write one. You may scold a carpenter who has made you a bad table, though you cannot make a table. It is not your trade to make tables.”

Writing May Made Criticism Abuse Tragedy Tables Trade Critics Carpenter

Author:Samuel Johnson

“In all pointed sentences, some degree of accuracy must be sacrificed to conciseness.”

Writing Degrees Sentences Accuracy

Author:Samuel Johnson

“I fancy mankind may come, in time, to write all aphoristically, except in narrative; grow weary of preparation, and connection, and illustration, and all those arts by which a big book is made.”

Writing May Art Made Book Bigs Grows Mankind Connections Preparation Narrative Fancy Weary Quotations Illustration Big Book

Book:Journey to the Hebrides: A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland & The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides

Source: Journey to the Hebrides: A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland & The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides

“Authors and lovers always suffer some infatuation, from which only absence can set them free.”

Writing Suffering Lovers Absence Infatuation

Book:The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: With an Essay on His Life and Genius /c by Arthur Murphy, Esq

Source: The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: With an Essay on His Life and Genius /c by Arthur Murphy, Esq

“It is indeed certain, that whoever attempts any common topick, will find unexpected coincidences of his thoughts with those of other writers; nor can the nicest judgment always distinguish accidental similitude from artful imitation.”

Writing Certain Common Judgment Unexpected Imitation Coincidence

Book:The Rambler

Source: The Rambler

“Every man speaks and writes with intent to be understood; and it can seldom happen but he that understands himself might convey his notions to another, if, content to be understood, he did not seek to be admired.”

Ifs Men Writing Might Happens Speak Understood Notion Every Man Clarity

Book:The Idler: With Additional Essays

Source: The Idler: With Additional Essays

“By writing, you learn to write.”

Author:Samuel Johnson

“While an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by his worst performance; and when he is dead, we rate him by his best.”

Writing Worst Performances Rate

Author:Samuel Johnson

“An author places himself uncalled before the tribunal of criticism and solicits fame at the hazard of disgrace.”

Writing Fame Criticism Disgrace Hazards Tribunals

Book:The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper: Broome, Pope, Pitt, Thomson

Source: The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper: Broome, Pope, Pitt, Thomson