--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Curiosity is one of the permanent and…" description: "\"“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/samuel-johnson-50_curiosity_curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-ce_2925081.png" --- # Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain… ![“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/samuel-johnson-50_curiosity_curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-ce_2925081.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/samuel-johnson-50_curiosity_curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-ce_2925081.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/samuel-johnson-50_curiosity_curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-ce_2925081.png) > ““Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”” [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. Curiosity is essential for a vigorous mind, driving continual learning and intellectual vitality. **In simple terms:** Curiosity fuels a strong mind. Key Takeaway Cultivate curiosity daily. Themes learning intellect inquiry growth vitality Mood inquisitive thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - reading - research - exploration - debate Key Concepts philosophy education psychology Questions to Reflect On - What sparks your curiosity? - How do you balance curiosity with focus? A Different Perspective Over‑curiosity may lead to distraction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain Characteristics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-characteristics-713188/) [Characteristics Vigorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characteristics-vigorous-1451927/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Curiosity Permanent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity-permanent-1451923/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Lifelong learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifelong-learning/) [Vigorous Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vigorous-intellect-1451925/) ## Related quotes > [Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/curiosity-is-one-of-the-most-permanent-and-certain-characteristics-of/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-certain-characteristics-of-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect. Every advance into knowledge opens new prospects, and produces new incitements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-certain-characteristics-of-a-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [There are certain characteristics that define a good chimp mother. She is patient, she is protective but she is not over-protective - that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/there-are-certain-characteristics-that-define-a-good-chimp-mother-she/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Certain characteristics of the subject are clear. To begin with, we do not in this subject deal with particular things or particular properties: we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/certain-characteristics-of-the-subject-are-clear-to-begin-with-we-do/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There are times when folks will point out certain characteristics I have, like me being an interruptor, and attribute them to my Jewish identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-soloway/there-are-times-when-folks-will-point-out-certain-characteristics-i/) [Jill Soloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-soloway/) > [Novelty is indeed necessary to preserve eagerness and alacrity; but art and nature have stores inexhaustible by human intellects, and every moment produces something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/novelty-is-indeed-necessary-to-preserve-eagerness-and-alacrity-but/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The mere power of saving what is already in our hands must be of easy acquisition to every mind; and as the example of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-mere-power-of-saving-what-is-already-in-our-hands-must-be-of-easy/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The task of an author is, either to teach what is not known, or to recommend known truths by his manner of adorning them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-task-of-an-author-is-either-to-teach-what-is-not-known-or-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Even those to whom Providence has allotted greater strength of understanding, can expect only to improve a single science. In every other part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/even-those-to-whom-providence-has-allotted-greater-strength-of-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man, however enslaved to his appetites, or hurried by his passions, can, while he preserves his intellects unimpaired, please himself with promoting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-man-however-enslaved-to-his-appetites-or-hurried-by-his-passions/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Listen to everyone & learn from everyone because nobody knows everything but everyone know someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/listen-to-everyone-learn-from-everyone-because-nobody-knows/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A commitment to lifelong learning is a natural expression of the practice of living consciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/a-commitment-to-lifelong-learning-is-a-natural-expression-of-the/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Face Everything in your life, it will make you discover many things and you will realize the true meaning of life. Life never seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan-sharma/face-everything-in-your-life-it-will-make-you-discover-many-things/) [Sushan Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan-sharma/) > [What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bubbly/what-doesnt-kill-you-makes-you-stronger/) [Bubbly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bubbly/) ## 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 Curiosity quotes > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/) [Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Curiosity Can Kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anison/curiosity-can-kill/) [Anison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anison/) > [“So curious you must be. Like little calves poking their heads through the fence with big eyes and a headful of curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/so-curious-you-must-be-like-little-calves-poking-their-heads-through/) [Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/) > [ “\[T\]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. \[...\] The point is, perhaps, that I am not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no-meaning-even-though-it-seems/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [How do we know that we have a right to kill creatures that we are so little above, as dogs, for our curiosity or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/how-do-we-know-that-we-have-a-right-to-kill-creatures-that-we-are-so/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Be curious not judge mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/be-curious-not-judge-mental/) [Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/) > [There is nothing so carking as the pangs of unsatisfied curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/there-is-nothing-so-carking-as-the-pangs-of-unsatisfied-curiosity/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes curiosity is a poison, not only for those who drink it but for everyone around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/sometimes-curiosity-is-a-poison-not-only-for-those-who-drink-it-but/) [G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/) > [As long as your curiosity is greater than your fear, you will move forward!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/as-long-as-your-curiosity-is-greater-than-your-fear-you-will-move/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it sure has earned a lot of people graduate degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-irving/curiosity-may-have-killed-the-cat-but-it-sure-has-earned-a-lot-of/) [Robyn Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-irving/) [Browse all 2,721 Curiosity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-certain-characteristics-of-a-3/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Curiosity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-certain-characteristics-of-a-3/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/samuel-johnson-50_curiosity_curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-ce_2925081.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/samuel-johnson-50_curiosity_curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-ce_2925081.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/samuel-johnson-50_curiosity_curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-ce_2925081.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.” — 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": "“Curiosity is one of the permanent...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-certain-characteristics-of-a-3/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/curiosity-is-one-of-the-permanent-and-certain-characteristics-of-a-3/#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 } } ] } ```