Samuel Johnson Quotes About Power

• No government power can be abused long. Mankind will not bear it.... There is a remedy in human nature against tyranny, that will keep us safe under every form of government.

  Samuel Johnson

  Power, Government, Long

  Samuel Johnson (1966). “Johnsonian miscellanies”, Constable

• When once a man has made celebrity necessary to his happiness, he has put it in the power of the weakest and most timorous malignity, if not to take away his satisfaction, at least to withhold it. His enemies may indulge their pride by airy negligence and gratify their malice by quiet neutrality.

  Samuel Johnson

  Happiness, Pride, Power

  Samuel Johnson (1827). “The Rambler”, p.224

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

  Samuel Johnson

  Power, Envy, May

  Samuel Johnson (2009). “Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings”, p.58, Harvard University Press

• When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.

  Samuel Johnson

  Power, Anxiety, Mind

• To do nothing is in everyone's power.

  Samuel Johnson

  Power, Progress, Originality

• Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.

  Samuel Johnson

  Inspirational, Power, Expectations

• A thousand years may elapse before there shall appear another man with a power of versification equal to that of Pope.

  Samuel Johnson

  Power, Men, Years

  James Boswell, Samuel Johnson (1859). “The Life of Samuel Johnson”, p.38

• He that has once concluded it lawful to resist power, when it wants merit, will soon find a want of merit, to justify his resistance to power.

  Samuel Johnson

  Power, Want, Resistance

  Samuel Johnson (1812). “Sermons Attributed to Samuel Johnson: And Left for Publication by John Taylor”, p.371

• He that fails in his endeavors after wealth or power will not long retain either honesty or courage.

  Samuel Johnson

  Courage, Honesty, Work

  Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1825). “The works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: with Murphy's essay”, p.82

• Some have little power to do good, and have likewise little strength to resist evil.

  Samuel Johnson

  Power, Evil, Littles

  Samuel Johnson (1977). “Selected Poetry and Prose”, p.149, Univ of California Press

• There are few things that we so unwillingly give up, even in advanced age, as the supposition that we still have the power of ingratiating ourselves with the fair sex.

  Samuel Johnson

  Birthday, Sex, Giving Up

  Samuel Johnson (2002). “A Johnson Sampler”, Non Pareil Books

You May Also Like:

James Boswell

Dick Clark

Alexander Pope

Joshua Reynolds

John Milton

Jonathan Swift

Oliver Goldsmith