---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not so much inclined to wonder that…"
description: "\"I am not so much inclined to wonder that marriage is sometimes unhappy, as that it appears so little loaded with calamity; and cannot but conclude that..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/samuel-johnson-50_human-nature_i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that_211705.jpg"
---

#  I am not so much inclined to wonder that marriage is…

![“I am not so much inclined to wonder that marriage is sometimes unhappy, as that it appears so little loaded with calamity; and cannot but conclude that society has something in itself eminently agreeable to human nature, when I find its pleasures so” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/samuel-johnson-50_human-nature_i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that_211705.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/samuel-johnson-50_human-nature_i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that_211705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/samuel-johnson-50_human-nature_i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that_211705.jpg)

> “I am not so much inclined to wonder that marriage is sometimes unhappy, as that it appears so little loaded with calamity; and cannot but conclude that society has something in itself eminently agreeable to human nature, when I find its pleasures so”

[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.

Johnson observes that marriage, while not necessarily tragic, often lacks overt disaster, implying it aligns well with human nature despite its challenges.

**In simple terms:** Marriage fits human nature even if not always disastrous.

Key Takeaway

Recognize marriage's inherent compatibility with human nature.

Themes

marriage human nature society contentment challenge

Mood

thoughtful balanced

Type

analytical reflective

When to use this quote

- family life
- counseling
- conflict resolution
- community building

Key Concepts

social philosophy relationship dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes marriage agreeable to human nature?
- How can society support unhappy marriages?

A Different Perspective

The view may overlook serious marital issues that cause real harm.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Pleasures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasures/)

## Related quotes

> [I hate men that always talk about how bad marriage is if your so unhappy leave dont ruin it for everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-men-that-always-talk-about-how-bad-marriage-is-if-your-so/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“For some people, particularly women, marriage-even an unhappy one such as this-is an escape from even greater unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/for-some-people-particularly-women-marriage-even-an-unhappy-one-such/)

[Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/)

> [No man is a hypocrite in his pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-man-is-a-hypocrite-in-his-pleasures/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [Men become friends by a community of pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/men-become-friends-by-a-community-of-pleasures/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [To live without feeling or exciting sympathy, to be fortunate without adding to the felicity of others, or afflicted without tasting the balm of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/to-live-without-feeling-or-exciting-sympathy-to-be-fortunate-without/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [The uniform necessities of human nature produce in a great measure uniformity of life, and for part of the day make one place like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-uniform-necessities-of-human-nature-produce-in-a-great-measure/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [The center of all my enjoyments is the home wherein are my wife and children, and I have no wish to wander out from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/the-center-of-all-my-enjoyments-is-the-home-wherein-are-my-wife-and/)

[Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/)

> [Sensual pleasures have the fleeting brilliance of a comet; a happy marriage has the tranquillity of a lovely sunset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/sensual-pleasures-have-the-fleeting-brilliance-of-a-comet-a-happy/)

[Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/)

> [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/)

> [At the heart of the gay marriage argument is an untruth: unions of two men or women are not the same as unions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-gallagher/at-the-heart-of-the-gay-marriage-argument-is-an-untruth-unions-of-two/)

[Maggie Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-gallagher/)

> [The greatest of all pleasures is the pleasure of learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-greatest-of-all-pleasures-is-the-pleasure-of-learning/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [...pleasure, of course, is a slippery word… Our pleasures ultimately belong to us, not to the pleasure's so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/pleasure-of-course-is-a-slippery-word-our-pleasures-ultimately-belong/)

[Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/)

> [For let me tell you, that the more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me is the pleasure and charm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/for-let-me-tell-you-that-the-more-the-pleasures-of-the-body-fade-away/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [The pleasures and the cares of the luckiest ambition, even of limitless power, are nothing next to the intimate happiness that tenderness and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/the-pleasures-and-the-cares-of-the-luckiest-ambition-even-of/)

[Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/)

> [One declaims endlessly against the passions; one imputes all of man's suffering to them. One forgets that they are also the source of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-declaims-endlessly-against-the-passions-one-imputes-all-of-man-s/)

[Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/)

## 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 Human nature quotes

> [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period - When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/a-light-exists-in-spring-not-present-on-the-year-at-any-other-period/)

[Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/)

> [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [“The aristocratic interiority is centered on the higher mind, the mens, the ajna chakra, the seat of intellect and intuition that commands the lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-evola/the-aristocratic-interiority-is-centered-on-the-higher-mind-the-mens/)

[Julius Evola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-evola/)

> [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/)

[Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/)

> [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [“I wasn't sure which I appreciated less—the insincere concern or the genuine indifference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-graham/i-wasn-t-sure-which-i-appreciated-less-the-insincere-concern-or-the/)

Arthur Graham

> [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/)

[Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/)

> [“As if we didn't have enough weapons already. But that's human nature, we've always got to go one better, to increase the terror another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/as-if-we-didn-t-have-enough-weapons-already-but-that-s-human-nature/)

[Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/)

> [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/)

[Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/)

> [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

[Browse all 3,743 Human nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I am not so much inclined to wonder that marriage is sometimes unhappy, as that it appears so little loaded with calamity; and cannot but conclude that society has something in itself eminently agreeable to human nature, when I find its pleasures so",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Samuel Johnson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that-marriage-is-sometimes/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Human nature"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that-marriage-is-sometimes/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/samuel-johnson-50_human-nature_i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that_211705.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/samuel-johnson-50_human-nature_i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that_211705.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f53/samuel-johnson-50_human-nature_i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that_211705.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I am not so much inclined to wonder that marriage is sometimes unhappy, as that it appears so little loaded…” — 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": "I am not so much inclined...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that-marriage-is-sometimes/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-am-not-so-much-inclined-to-wonder-that-marriage-is-sometimes/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
