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Samuel Johnson Quotes about Truth

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In order that all men might be taught to speak truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it.

In order that all men might be taught to speak truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it.

Samuel Johnson (1782). “The Beauties of Johnson: Consisting of Maxims and Observations, Moral, Critical, and Miscellaneous, Accurately Extracted from the Works of Dr. Samuel Johnson, and Arranged in Alphabetical Order, After the Manner of the Duke de la Roche-Foucault's Maxims”, p.69

The future is purchased by the present.

Samuel Johnson, Elizabeth Carter, Samuel Richardson, Catherine Talbot (1809). “The Rambler”, p.94

Truth allows no choice.

Samuel Johnson (1804). “The Lives of the Poets, Etc. [With a Portrait.]”, p.85

Truth has no gradations; nothing which admits of increase can be so much what it is, as truth is truth. There may be a strange thing, and a thing more strange. But if a proposition be true, there can be none more true.

Samuel Johnson (1833). “The Life of Johnson: with Maxims and Observations: Moral, Critical, and Miscellaneous, Accurately Selected from the Works of Dr. Samuel Johnson, and Arranged in Alphabetical Order”, p.269

Truth, Sir, is a cow which will yield such people no more milk, and so they are gone to milk the bull.

1763 Of sceptics. Remark, 21 Jul. Quoted in James Boswell The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), vol.1.

It is more from carelessness about truth than from intentionally lying that there is so much falsehood in the world.

Samuel Johnson, James Boswell (1807). “Dr. Johnson's table-talk: aphorisms [&c.] selected and arranged from mr. Boswell's life of Johnson”, p.67

A man may be very sincere in good principles, without having good practice.

James Boswell, Samuel Johnson (1786). “Boswell's Life of Johnson: Including Boswell's Journal of a Tour of the Hebrides, and Johnson's Diary of A Journey Into North Wales”, p.409

This mournful truth is everywhere confessed, slow rises worth by poverty depressed.

Samuel Johnson (1977). “Selected Poetry and Prose”, p.52, Univ of California Press