Samuel Johnson Quotes about Suffering

When any calamity is suffered, the first thing to be remembered is, how much has been escaped.

When any calamity is suffered, the first thing to be remembered is, how much has been escaped.

Suffering, Tragedy, Firsts

"Johnsoniana: Or, Supplement to Boswell: Being Anecdotes and Sayings of Dr. Johnson".

Our minds, like our bodies, are in continual flux; something is hourly lost, and something acquired.... Do not suffer life to stagnate; it will grow muddy for want of motion: commit yourself again to the current of the world.

Samuel Johnson

Mind, Suffering, World

Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1820). “The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: A New Edition in Twelve Volumes, to which is Prefixed, an Essay on His Life and Genius, by Arthur Murphy, Esq. Containing Adventurer and Rasselas”, p.397

Laws teach us to know when we commit injury and when we suffer it.

Samuel Johnson

Law, Suffering, Injury

Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1825). “The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With Murphy's Essay”, p.611

The equity of Providence has balanced peculiar sufferings with peculiar enjoyments.

Samuel Johnson

Suffering, Peculiar, Providence

Samuel Johnson (1850). “The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia: A Tale ; The Vision of Theodore ; The Fountains, a Fairy Tale”, p.32

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

Samuel Johnson

Writing, Suffering, Lovers

Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1837). “The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: With an Essay on His Life and Genius /c by Arthur Murphy, Esq”, p.258

There is something in obstinacy which differs from every other passion. Whenever it fails, it never recovers, but either breaks like iron, or crumbles sulkily away, like a fractured arch. Most other passions have their periods of fatigue and rest, their sufferings and their cure; but obstinacy has no resource, and the first wound is mortal.

Samuel Johnson

Passion, Iron, Suffering

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it.

Samuel Johnson

Suffering, Survivor

Samuel Johnson (1784). “The Rambler: In Four Volumes..”, p.147

As to the rout that is made about people who are ruined by extravagance, it is no matter to the nation that some individuals suffer. When so much general productive exertion is the consequence of luxury, the nation does not care though there are debtors; nay, they would not care though their creditors were there too.

Samuel Johnson

Luxury, People, Suffering

Samuel Johnson (1807). “Dr. Johnson's Table-talk: Containing Aphorisms on Literature, Life, and Manners, with Anecdotes of Distinguished Persons, Selected and Arranged from Mr. Boswell's Life of Johnson”, p.132

Still we love The evil we do, until we suffer it.

Samuel Johnson

Evil, Suffering, Stills

Samuel Johnson (1810). “The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper”, p.530

It was the peculiar artifice of Habit not to suffer her power to be felt at first. Those whom she led, she had the address of appearing only to attend, but was continually doubling her chains upon her companions; which were so slender in themselves, and so silently fastened, that while the attention was engaged by other objects, they were not easily perceived. Each link grew tighter as it had been longer worn; and when by continual additions they became so heavy as to be felt, they were very frequently too strong to be broken.

Samuel Johnson

Strong, Broken, Suffering

Samuel Johnson (1836). “The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.: D., with an Essay on His Life and Genius”, p.491

Every man is prompted by the love of himself to imagine that he possesses some qualities, superior, either in kind or degree, to those which he sees allotted to the rest of the world; and, whatever apparent disadvantages he may suffer in the comparison with others, he has some invisible distinctions, some latent reserve of excellence, which he throws into the balance, and by which he generally fancies that it is turned in his favour.

Samuel Johnson

Men, Suffering, Excellence

Samuel Johnson, Peter Martin (2009). “Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings”, p.178, Harvard University Press

We suffer equal pain from the pertinacious adhesion of unwelcome images, as from the evanescence of those which are pleasing and useful.

Samuel Johnson

Pain, Suffering, Evanescence

Samuel Johnson (2009). “Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings”, p.81, Harvard University Press

Pope had been flattered till he thought himself one of the moving powers of the system of life. When he talked of laying down his pen, those who sat round him intreated and implored; and self-love did not suffer him to suspect that they went away and laughed.

Samuel Johnson

Moving, Self, Suffering

Samuel Johnson (1800). “Lives”, p.531

If an author be supposed to involve his thoughts in voluntary obscurity, and to obstruct, by unnecessary difficulties, a mind eager in the pursuit of truth; if he writes not to make others learned, but to boast the learning which he possesses himself, and wishes to be admired rather than understood, he counteracts the first end of writing, and justly suffers the utmost severity of censure, or the more afflicting severity of neglect.

Samuel Johnson

Writing, Mind, Suffering

Samuel Johnson, Elizabeth Carter, Samuel Richardson, Catherine Talbot (1825). “The Rambler: A Periodical Paper, Published in 1750, 1751, 1752”

I know not, Madam, that you have a right, upon moral principles, to make your readers suffer so much.

Samuel Johnson

Writing, Suffering, Principles

James Boswell, Samuel Johnson, Edmond Malone (1824). “The life of Samuel Johnson, LL. D., comprehending an account of his studies, and numerous works, in chronological order: a series of his epistolary correspondence and conversations with many eminent persons; and various original pieces of his composition, never before published; the whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great Britain, for near half a century during which he flourished”, p.342

Samuel Johnson Quotes about Suffering

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