--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I look upon this as I did upon the…" description: "\"I look upon this as I did upon the Dictionary: it is all work, and my inducement to it is not love or desire of fame, but the want of money, which is t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/samuel-johnson-50_desire_i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dicti_502714.png" --- # I look upon this as I did upon the Dictionary: it is all… ![“I look upon this as I did upon the Dictionary: it is all work, and my inducement to it is not love or desire of fame, but the want of money, which is the only motive to writing that I know of.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/samuel-johnson-50_desire_i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dicti_502714.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/samuel-johnson-50_desire_i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dicti_502714.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/samuel-johnson-50_desire_i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dicti_502714.png) > “I look upon this as I did upon the Dictionary: it is all work, and my inducement to it is not love or desire of fame, but the want of money, which is the only motive to writing that I know of.” [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. The author sees writing as labor driven solely by financial need, not passion or ambition. **In simple terms:** Writing is work motivated by money, not love or fame. Key Takeaway Recognize true motivations behind your work. Themes motivation work money writing Mood reflective analytical Type explanatory critical When to use this quote - freelance writing - academic publishing - content creation - journalism Key Concepts economic incentive creative labor artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - What drives your creative work? - Can money and love coexist in your craft? A Different Perspective Passion can also sustain creativity despite financial pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Dictionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictionary/) [Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“It is all work, and my inducement to it is not love or desire of fame, but the want of money, which is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-all-work-and-my-inducement-to-it-is-not-love-or-desire-of-fame/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I used to keep a dictionary and work with it and then I realized there are more words that exist in the English language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-used-to-keep-a-dictionary-and-work-with-it-and-then-i-realized/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Curiosity is the best motive for writing: curiosity about the world at large, or about oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/curiosity-is-the-best-motive-for-writing-curiosity-about-the-world-at/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [If the motive of writing is for some people a kind of exercise in dirty laundry, that's one thing. I've always thought of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/if-the-motive-of-writing-is-for-some-people-a-kind-of-exercise-in/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [“There is only one motive for writing a novel: to be published and read. To me there is no distinction between the mystery novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-franklin-bardin/there-is-only-one-motive-for-writing-a-novel-to-be-published-and-read/) John Franklin Bardin > [“Writer's block comes from the feeling that one is doing the wrong thing or doing the right thing badly. Fiction written for the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/writer-s-block-comes-from-the-feeling-that-one-is-doing-the-wrong/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“It’s making me suspicious of everyone. Everywhere I go I’m looking at people and wondering if it’s them. I hate it. I don’t want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-greaves/it-s-making-me-suspicious-of-everyone-everywhere-i-go-i-m-looking-at/) Alison Greaves > [“If we could picture the thoughts of those who stand about a deathbed, what fearful sights should we not see? Money is always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/if-we-could-picture-the-thoughts-of-those-who-stand-about-a-deathbed/) [Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [I think a lot of things are shoved in our face, politically and historically, for money, and that's the motive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-wilkinson/i-think-a-lot-of-things-are-shoved-in-our-face-politically-and/) [Kendra Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-wilkinson/) > [The money is the motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/the-money-is-the-motive/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [Look at all that money, the money is the motive. All that money the money she be folding. Girl put in work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/look-at-all-that-money-the-money-is-the-motive-all-that-money-the/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [Never go into business purely to make money. If that's the motive you're better off doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/never-go-into-business-purely-to-make-money-if-that-s-the-motive-you/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Money is the motive,family is the reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ofentse/money-is-the-motive-family-is-the-reason/) Ofentse > [It is wonderful to think how men of very large estates not only spend their yearly income, but are often actually in want of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-wonderful-to-think-how-men-of-very-large-estates-not-only-spend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Everybody talks about being a role model. But if you look up the word 'role' in a dictionary, it describes playing a part. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/everybody-talks-about-being-a-role-model-but-if-you-look-up-the-word/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) ## 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 Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“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/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I look upon this as I did upon the Dictionary: it is all work, and my inducement to it is not love or desire of fame, but the want of money, which is the only motive to writing that I know of.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dictionary-it-is-all-work-and-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dictionary-it-is-all-work-and-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/samuel-johnson-50_desire_i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dicti_502714.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/samuel-johnson-50_desire_i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dicti_502714.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/samuel-johnson-50_desire_i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dicti_502714.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I look upon this as I did upon the Dictionary: it is all work, and my inducement to it is not love or desire…” — 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 look upon this as I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dictionary-it-is-all-work-and-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-look-upon-this-as-i-did-upon-the-dictionary-it-is-all-work-and-my/#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 } } ] } ```