--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sir, there is nothing too little for so…" description: "\"“Sir, there is nothing too little for so little creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great knowledge of having as little..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/samuel-johnson-50_little-things_sir-there-is-nothing-too-little-for-so-l_1432102.png" --- # Sir, there is nothing too little for so little creature as… ![“Sir, there is nothing too little for so little creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great knowledge of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/samuel-johnson-50_little-things_sir-there-is-nothing-too-little-for-so-l_1432102.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/samuel-johnson-50_little-things_sir-there-is-nothing-too-little-for-so-l_1432102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/samuel-johnson-50_little-things_sir-there-is-nothing-too-little-for-so-l_1432102.png) > ““Sir, there is nothing too little for so little creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great knowledge of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.”” [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. Studying small details reveals how to minimize suffering and maximize happiness. **In simple terms:** Focus on little things to find joy. Key Takeaway Observe details, reduce misery. Themes philosophy happiness knowledge Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - scientific research - daily routines - mindfulness Key Concepts Stoicism microanalysis contentment Questions to Reflect On - What small detail could improve your life? - How does focusing on minutiae affect happiness? A Different Perspective Neglecting big picture can limit insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Having Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-little-2061453/) [Little Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-misery-1026150/) [Little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) [Misery Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery-happiness-449592/) [Sir Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sir-little-3594714/) [Studying Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studying-little-5101673/) ## Related quotes > [There is nothing, Sir, too little for so little a creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/there-is-nothing-sir-too-little-for-so-little-a-creature-as-man-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“And Sir, it is no little thing to make mine eyes to sweat compassion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/and-sir-it-is-no-little-thing-to-make-mine-eyes-to-sweat-compassion/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A little misery, at times, makes one appreciate happiness more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-frank-baum/a-little-misery-at-times-makes-one-appreciate-happiness-more/) [L. Frank Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-frank-baum/) > [“A little misery is good for the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/a-little-misery-is-good-for-the-soul/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [The only gift that you ever gave was that you let me just get away. I hope I haunt you in every dream and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fefe-dobson/the-only-gift-that-you-ever-gave-was-that-you-let-me-just-get-away-i/) [Fefe Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fefe-dobson/) > [“The difference between misery and happiness was the right word from her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-difference-between-misery-and-happiness-was-the-right-word-from/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Nothing can make you happier than you are. All search for happiness is misery and leads to more misery. The only happiness worth the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/nothing-can-make-you-happier-than-you-are-all-search-for-happiness-is/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [“Misery is to happiness as cold is to heat- it rushes through the cracks and blows out the candle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-i-carswell/misery-is-to-happiness-as-cold-is-to-heat-it-rushes-through-the/) [John I. Carswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-i-carswell/) > [I've known both misery and happiness, lived in so many different skins it is impossible for one skin to claim me. And I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-ve-known-both-misery-and-happiness-lived-in-so-many-different-skins/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [Everyone is replacedble in contrary to what people think when it comes to their feelings. as long as we're human beings we're gonna suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-symphorien/everyone-is-replacedble-in-contrary-to-what-people-think-when-it/) [Kevin Symphorien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-symphorien/) > [“Comfortable misery is still misery – our happiness is determined not by our comfort level, but by our consciousness level”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaitanya-charan-das/comfortable-misery-is-still-misery-our-happiness-is-determined-not-by/) [Chaitanya Charan Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaitanya-charan-das/) > [The animal man lives in the senses. If he does not get enough to eat, he is miserable; or if something happens to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-animal-man-lives-in-the-senses-if-he-does-not-get-enough-to-eat/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“Misery!—happiness is to be found by its side!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/misery-happiness-is-to-be-found-by-its-side/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [Misery is what happiness rests upon. Happiness is what misery lurks beneath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/misery-is-what-happiness-rests-upon-happiness-is-what-misery-lurks/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Misery makes you special. Misery makes you more egoistic. A miserable man can have a more concentrated ego than a happy man. A happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/misery-makes-you-special-misery-makes-you-more-egoistic-a-miserable/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## 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 Little things quotes > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [“The little things really do matter. 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Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/little-things-make-the-difference-everyone-is-well-prepared-in-the/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [No woman ever yet either reasoned or acted long together consequentially; but some little thing, some love, some resentment, somepresent momentary interest, some supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/no-woman-ever-yet-either-reasoned-or-acted-long-together/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [Getting a burp out of your little thing when she needs it is probably the greatest satisfaction I've come across at this point in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/getting-a-burp-out-of-your-little-thing-when-she-needs-it-is-probably/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [“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/) > [There is no real elevation of mind in a contempt of little things; it is, on the contrary, from too narrow views that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-is-no-real-elevation-of-mind-in-a-contempt-of-little-things-it/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) [Randy Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-anderson/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) [Cesar Nikko Caharian III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/) > [Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/practice-yourself-for-heaven-s-sake-in-little-things-and-then-proceed/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Who can calculate the wounds inflicted, their depth and pain, by harsh and mean words spoken in anger? 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Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [His beauty isnt't what makes me love him more with each day that passes by but his sense of humour, his sweetness, his laughter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine/his-beauty-isnt-t-what-makes-me-love-him-more-with-each-day-that/) [Josephine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine/) > [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/) [Lawrence Dale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-dale-bell/) [Browse all 1,896 Little things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sir, there is nothing too little for so little creature as man. 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