Samuel Johnson Quotes About Certainty

• The certainty that life cannot be long, and the probability that it will be much shorter than nature allows, ought to awaken every man to the active prosecution of whatever he is desirous to perform. It is true, that no diligence can ascertain success; death may intercept the swiftest career; but he who is cut off in the execution of an honest undertaking has at least the honour of falling in his rank, and has fought the battle, though he missed the victory.

  Samuel Johnson

  Fall, Procrastination, Cutting

  Samuel Johnson (1840). “The Life and Writings of Samuel Johnson...”, p.101

• It is true that of far the greater part of things, we must content ourselves with such knowledge as description may exhibit, or analogy supply; but it is true likewise, that these ideas are always incomplete, and that at least, till we have compared them with realities, we do not know them to be just. As we see more, we become possessed of more certainties, and consequently gain more principles of reasoning, and found a wider base of analogy.

  Samuel Johnson

  Knowledge, Reality, Ideas

  Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1837). “The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: Lives of the poets”, p.629

• From all our observations we may collect with certainty, that misery is the lot of man, but cannot discover in what particular condition it will find most alleviations.

  Samuel Johnson

  Men, May, Misery

  Samuel Johnson (1827). “The Rambler”, p.239

• He is no wise man who will quit a certainty for an uncertainty.

  Samuel Johnson

  Wise, Wisdom, Men

  Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy, Alexander Chalmers (1810). “The idler”, p.229

• Criticism, though dignified from the earliest ages by the labours of men eminent for knowledge and sagacity, has not yet attained the certainty and stability of science.

  Samuel Johnson

  Knowledge, Science, Men

  Samuel Johnson (1827). “The Rambler”, p.27

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