Samuel Johnson

A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

The future is purchased by the present.

Prudence operates on life in the same manner as rule of composition; it produces vigilance rather than elevation; rather prevents loss than procures advantage; and often miscarriages, but seldom reaches either power or honor.

The real satisfaction which praise can afford, is when what is repeated aloud agrees with the whispers of conscience, by showing us that we have not endeavored to deserve well in vain.

Every other enjoyment malice may destroy; every other panegyric envy may withhold; but no human power can deprive the boaster of his own encomiums.

Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good;be good for something.All fables, indeed, have their morals; but the innocent enjoy the story. Let nothing come between you and the light. Respect men and brothers only. When you travel to the Celestial City, carry no letter of introduction. When you knock, ask to see God,

A man may be so much of everything that he is nothing of anything.

If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find we have lost the future.

When any real progress is made, we unlearn and learn anew what we thought we knew before.

Travel is a fools paradise.

There is nothing that can be changed more completely than human nature when the job is taken in hand early enough.

It was not that she was out of temper, but that the world was not equal to the demands of her fine organism.

A good conscience is a continual feast.

A nap, my friend, is a brief period of sleep which overtakes superannuated persons when they endeavor to entertain unwelcome visitors or to listen to scientific lectures.

We worship not the Graces, nor the Parcae, but Fashion. She spins and weaves and cuts with full authority. The head monkey at Paris puts on a traveler’s cap, and all the monkeys in America do the same.

Youth gets together with their materials to build a bridge to the moon or maybe a palace on earth; then in middle age they decide to build a woodshed with them instead.

Stay with me,’ he said, ‘until the sun goes out, the seas are parched, and the wind draws its last breath.

Thaw with her gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with his hammer. The one melts, the other breaks into pieces.

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

The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend.