--- title: "8 Forgotten Quotes By Samuel Johnson" description: "8 Forgotten quotes by Samuel Johnson. Plus more from Samuel Johnson and more Forgotten sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png" --- > [Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the-rest-of-the-world-as-to-be/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png) > [So willing is every man to flatter himself, that the difference between approving laws, and obeying them, is frequently forgotten; he that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/so-willing-is-every-man-to-flatter-himself-that-the-difference/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/630/samuel-johnson-50_acknowledge_so-willing-is-every-man-to-flatter-himse_175100.jpg) > [Life is surely given us for higher purposes than to gather what our ancestors have wisely thrown away, and to learn what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/life-is-surely-given-us-for-higher-purposes-than-to-gather-what-our/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/samuel-johnson-50_ancestor_life-is-surely-given-us-for-higher-purpo_253046.png) > [Tradition is but a meteor, which, if it once falls, cannot be rekindled. Memory, once interrupted, is not to be recalled. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/tradition-is-but-a-meteor-which-if-it-once-falls-cannot-be-rekindled/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/samuel-johnson-50_book_tradition-is-but-a-meteor-which-if-it-on_1186463.png) > [Books are faithful repositories, which may be awhile neglected or forgotten; but when they are opened again, will again impart their instruction:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/books-are-faithful-repositories-which-may-be-awhile-neglected-or/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/samuel-johnson-50_book_books-are-faithful-repositories-which-ma_1249522.png) > [Friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absence, though it may be increased by short intermissions. What we have missed long enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/friendship-like-love-is-destroyed-by-long-absence-though-it-may-be-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/samuel-johnson-50_absence_friendship-like-love-is-destroyed-by-lon_2745442.jpg) > [No man is much regarded by the rest of the world. He that considers how little he dwells upon the condition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-man-is-much-regarded-by-the-rest-of-the-world-he-that-considers/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/samuel-johnson-50_attention_no-man-is-much-regarded-by-the-rest-of-t_3138148.jpg) > [It is better a man should be abused than forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-better-a-man-should-be-abused-than-forgotten/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/samuel-johnson-50_abuse_it-is-better-a-man-should-be-abused-than_3154520.png) ## Other authors on Forgotten ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/samuel-johnson/#itemlist", "name": "8 Forgotten Quotes By Samuel Johnson", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; 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