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Vulgar and inactive minds confound familiarity with knowledge, and conceive themselves informed of the whole nature of things, when they are shown their form or told their use.

Samuel Johnson

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Samuel Johnson
Age: 75 †
Born: 1709
Born: September 18
Died: 1784
Died: December 13
Biographer
Bookseller
Essayist
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Literary Critic
Literary Historian
Poet
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Lichfield
Staffordshire
Dr Johnson
Dr. Johnson
Great Moralist
Nature
Informed
Form
Vulgar
Arrogance
Whole
Shown
Mind
Minds
Inactive
Things
Told
Confound
Knowledge
Familiarity
Use
Conceive

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I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read.
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Flattery pleases very generally. In the first place, the flatterer may think what he says to be true but, in the second place, whether he thinks so or not, he certainly thinks those whom he flatters of consequence enough to be flattered.
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He that applauds him who does not deserve praise, is endeavoring to deceive the public he that hisses in malice or sport, is an oppressor and a robber.
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Those that have done nothing in life, are not qualified to judge of those that have done little
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Modern writers are the moons of literature they shine with reflected light, with light borrowed from the ancients.
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What is said upon a subject is gathered from an hundred people.
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The vicious count their years virtuous, their acts.
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Few faults of style, whether real or imaginary, excite the malignity of a more numerous class of readers, than the use of hard words.
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Life protracted is protracted woe.
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Misery is caused for the most part, not by a heavy crush of disaster, but by the corrosion of less visible evils, which canker enjoyment, and undermine security. The visit of an invader is necessarily rare, but domestic animosities allow no cessation.
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All the arguments which are brought to represent poverty as no evil show it evidently to be a great evil.
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Before dinner men meet with great inequality of understanding.
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In lapidary inscriptions a man is not upon oath.
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By writing, you learn to write.
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All theory is against free will all experience is for it.
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In misery's darkest cavern known, His useful care was ever nigh Where hopeless anguish pour'd his groan, And lonely want retir'd to die.
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Learn that the present hour alone is man's.
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The difference between coarse and refined abuse is the difference between being bruised by a club and wounded by a poisoned arrow.
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Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own.
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Hunger is never delicate they who are seldom gorged to the full with praise may be safely fed with gross compliments, for the appetite must be satisfied before it is disgusted.
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