Samuel Johnson

Some people wave their dogmatic thinking until their own reason is entangled.

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. The world is not yet exhausted; let me see something tomorrow which I never saw before.

No man was ever great by imitation.

Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.

Fear is implanted in us as a preservative from evil; but its duty, like that of other passions, is not to overbear reason, but to assist it. It should not be suffered to tyrannize

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.

Neither have they hearts to stay, nor wit enough to run away.

Without friends the world is but a wilderness. There is no man that imparteth his joys to his friends, but he joyeth the more; and no man that imparteth his grieves to his friend, but he grieveth the less.

He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.

Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our point of view.

Prepare for death, if here at night you roam, and sign your will before you sup from home.

I showed my appreciation of my native land in the usual Irish way: by getting out of it as soon as I possibly could.

The joy in life is to be used for a purpose. I want to be used up when I die.

We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies.

Anger is a momentary madness, so control your passion or it will control you.

When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.

Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.

No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.

The aim of spiritual life is to awaken a joyful freedom, a benevolent and compassionate heart in spite of everything.

You perceive I generalize with intrepidity from single instances. It is the tourist’s custom.

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.