--- title: "8 Hopeless Quotes By Samuel Johnson" description: "8 Hopeless quotes by Samuel Johnson. Plus more from Samuel Johnson and more Hopeless sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/samuel-johnson-50_hopeless_nothing-is-more-hopeless-than-a-scheme-o_885816.png" --- > [Nothing is more hopeless than a scheme of merriment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nothing-is-more-hopeless-than-a-scheme-of-merriment/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/samuel-johnson-50_hopeless_nothing-is-more-hopeless-than-a-scheme-o_885816.png) > [There are some works which the authors must consign unpublished to posterity, however uncertain be the event, however hopeless be the trust.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/there-are-some-works-which-the-authors-must-consign-unpublished-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/samuel-johnson-50_and-love_there-are-some-works-which-the-authors-m_936426.png) > [There is no wisdom in useless and hopeless sorrow, but there is something in it so like virtue, that he who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/there-is-no-wisdom-in-useless-and-hopeless-sorrow-but-there-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/samuel-johnson-50_hopeless_there-is-no-wisdom-in-useless-and-hopele_1570811.png) > [There is no wisdom in useless and hopeless sorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/there-is-no-wisdom-in-useless-and-hopeless-sorrow/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ce/samuel-johnson-50_hopeless_there-is-no-wisdom-in-useless-and-hopele_2106993.png) > [It is a hopeless endeavour to unite the contrarieties of spring and winter; it is unjust to claim the privileges of age,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-a-hopeless-endeavour-to-unite-the-contrarieties-of-spring-and/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5c/samuel-johnson-50_age_it-is-a-hopeless-endeavour-to-unite-the_2147495.png) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/in-misery-s-darkest-cavern-known-his-useful-care-was-ever-nigh-where/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/samuel-johnson-50_anguish_in-misery-s-darkest-cavern-known-his-use_2173544.png) > [Every man, however hopeless his pretensions may appear, has some project by which he hopes to rise to reputation; some art by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-man-however-hopeless-his-pretensions-may-appear-has-some/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/samuel-johnson-50_art_every-man-however-hopeless-his-pretensio_2762096.png) > [Consultation and compliance can conduce little to the perfection of any literary performance; for whoever is so doubtful of his own abilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/consultation-and-compliance-can-conduce-little-to-the-perfection-of/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/samuel-johnson-50_ability_consultation-and-compliance-can-conduce_2928575.png) ## Other authors on Hopeless ## 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/hopeless/samuel-johnson/#itemlist", "name": "8 Hopeless Quotes By Samuel Johnson", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nothing is more hopeless than a scheme of merriment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nothing-is-more-hopeless-than-a-scheme-of-merriment/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/samuel-johnson-50_hopeless_nothing-is-more-hopeless-than-a-scheme-o_885816.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/samuel-johnson-50_hopeless_nothing-is-more-hopeless-than-a-scheme-o_885816.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/samuel-johnson-50_hopeless_nothing-is-more-hopeless-than-a-scheme-o_885816.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing is more hopeless than a scheme of merriment.” — Samuel Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are some works which the authors must consign unpublished to posterity, however uncertain be the event, however hopeless be the trust. 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