Samuel Johnson

Attention and respect give pleasure, however late, or however useless. But they are not useless, when they are late, it is reasonable to rejoice, as the day declines, to find that it has been spent with the approbation of mankind.

It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time.

Whatever you have spend less.

Why, Sir, most schemes of political improvement are very laughable things.

Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.

That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own esteem.

All censorships exist to prevent anyone from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently, the first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.

We are not what we are, nor do we treat or esteem each other for such, but for what we are capable of being.

There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.

Beauty without expression is boring.

To believe in God is impossible not to believe in Him is absurd.

My facts shall be falsehoods to the common sense. I would so state facts that they shall be significant, shall be myths or mythologies. Facts which the mind perceived, thoughts which the body thought – with these I deal.

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

Fortune knocks at every man’s door once in a life, but in a good many cases the man is in a neighboring saloon and does not hear her.

We know but a few men, a great many coats and breeches.

If God wants us to do a thing, he should make his wishes sufficiently clear. Sensible people will wait till he has done this before paying much attention to him.

All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.

I see the whole concept of Generation X implies that everyone has lost hope.

I have lived some thirty-odd years on this planet, and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

Patience makes lighter What sorrow may not heal.