--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man ought to read just as inclination…" description: "\"A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/samuel-johnson-50_books_a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination_616776.png" --- # A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for… ![“A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/samuel-johnson-50_books_a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination_616776.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/samuel-johnson-50_books_a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination_616776.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/samuel-johnson-50_books_a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination_616776.png) > “A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading for pleasure nurtures the mind more than reading as a chore. **In simple terms:** Read for joy, not just duty. Key Takeaway Choose enjoyable reading. Themes reading learning joy Mood thoughtful encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - leisure time - commutes - breaks - self‑development Key Concepts intrinsic motivation education Questions to Reflect On - What topics excite you to read voluntarily? - How does pleasure reading influence your creativity? A Different Perspective Mandatory reading can feel burdensome and reduce retention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [There are two kinds of books. Those that no one reads and those that no one ought to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-two-kinds-of-books-those-that-no-one-reads-and-those-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the main, there are two sorts of books: those that no one reads and those that no one ought to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/in-the-main-there-are-two-sorts-of-books-those-that-no-one-reads-and/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Never trust a man who writes more than he reads.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/never-trust-a-man-who-writes-more-than-he-reads/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I never read, I just look at pictures,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/i-never-read-i-just-look-at-pictures/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Read. You don't have to read me. But just read. Read the best people. Everybody's trying to do the same thing, which is keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lupica/read-you-don-t-have-to-read-me-but-just-read-read-the-best-people/) [Mike Lupica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lupica/) > [One must learn to read, just as one must learn to see and learn to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/one-must-learn-to-read-just-as-one-must-learn-to-see-and-learn-to-live/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [You should never read just for enjoyment. Read to make yourself smarter! Less judgmental. More apt to understand your friends insane behavior, or better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/you-should-never-read-just-for-enjoyment-read-to-make-yourself-2/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I read serious books, but every now and then, I read just for fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-read-serious-books-but-every-now-and-then-i-read-just-for-fun/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“You should never read just for "enjoyment." Read to make yourself smarter! Less judgmental. More apt to understand your friends' insane behavior, or better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/you-should-never-read-just-for-enjoyment-read-to-make-yourself/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I wasn't a very discriminating reader. I read just about everything that came along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kuralt/i-wasn-t-a-very-discriminating-reader-i-read-just-about-everything/) [Charles Kuralt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kuralt/) > [“was boring to think of books as something you should read just because others had, and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katarina-bivald/was-boring-to-think-of-books-as-something-you-should-read-just/) [Katarina Bivald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katarina-bivald/) > [I don't really believe that people read just the stuff they agree with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kristol/i-don-t-really-believe-that-people-read-just-the-stuff-they-agree-with/) [William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kristol/) > [You can't make someone read. Just like you can't make them fall in love, or dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pennac/you-can-t-make-someone-read-just-like-you-can-t-make-them-fall-in/) [Daniel Pennac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pennac/) > [I write what I'd like to read and just hope that, along the way, others might like to read them, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/i-write-what-i-d-like-to-read-and-just-hope-that-along-the-way-others/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [“If you don't love to read, you just haven't found the right book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-green/if-you-don-t-love-to-read-you-just-haven-t-found-the-right-book/) [Tim Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-green/) ## 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/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination-leads-him-for-what-he-reads/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination-leads-him-for-what-he-reads/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/samuel-johnson-50_books_a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination_616776.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/samuel-johnson-50_books_a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination_616776.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/samuel-johnson-50_books_a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination_616776.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good.” — Samuel Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man ought to read just...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination-leads-him-for-what-he-reads/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-ought-to-read-just-as-inclination-leads-him-for-what-he-reads/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```