---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Scarcely any degree of judgment is…"
description: "\"Scarcely any degree of judgment is sufficient to restrain the imagination from magnifying that on which it is long detained\" — Samuel Johnson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e50/samuel-johnson-50_degrees_scarcely-any-degree-of-judgment-is-suffi_2019874.png"
---

#  Scarcely any degree of judgment is sufficient to restrain…

![“Scarcely any degree of judgment is sufficient to restrain the imagination from magnifying that on which it is long detained” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e50/samuel-johnson-50_degrees_scarcely-any-degree-of-judgment-is-suffi_2019874.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e50/samuel-johnson-50_degrees_scarcely-any-degree-of-judgment-is-suffi_2019874.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e50/samuel-johnson-50_degrees_scarcely-any-degree-of-judgment-is-suffi_2019874.png)

> “Scarcely any degree of judgment is sufficient to restrain the imagination from magnifying that on which it is long detained”

[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.

Judgment alone cannot fully curb imagination; it still expands on restrained ideas.

**In simple terms:** Judgment limits but doesn't stop imagination.

Key Takeaway

Balance critique with creative freedom.

Themes

imagination judgment creativity

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- writing
- artistic development
- problem solving

Key Concepts

critical thinking creative restraint

Questions to Reflect On

- When does judgment help imagination?
- How can we harness both?

A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance on judgment can stifle innovation.

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[Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination Magnifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-magnifying-3652933/) [Judgement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgement/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgment Sufficient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-sufficient-3652934/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Magnifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnifying/) [Restrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restrain/) [Restrain Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restrain-imagination-3652932/)

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