--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great end of prudence is to give…" description: "\"The great end of prudence is to give cheerfulness to those hours which splendour cannot gild, and acclamation cannot exhilarate; those soft intervals o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/samuel-johnson-50_ambition_the-great-end-of-prudence-is-to-give-che_209491.png" --- # The great end of prudence is to give cheerfulness to those… ![“The great end of prudence is to give cheerfulness to those hours which splendour cannot gild, and acclamation cannot exhilarate; those soft intervals of unbended amusement, in which a man shrinks to his natural dimensions, and throws aside the ornaments or disguises which he feels in privacy to be…” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/samuel-johnson-50_ambition_the-great-end-of-prudence-is-to-give-che_209491.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/samuel-johnson-50_ambition_the-great-end-of-prudence-is-to-give-che_209491.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/samuel-johnson-50_ambition_the-great-end-of-prudence-is-to-give-che_209491.png) > “The great end of prudence is to give cheerfulness to those hours which splendour cannot gild, and acclamation cannot exhilarate; those soft intervals of unbended amusement, in which a man shrinks to his natural dimensions, and throws aside the ornaments or disguises which he feels in privacy to be useless incumbrances, and to lose all effect when they become familiar. To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labour tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecution.” [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. True contentment comes from simple, unpretentious pleasures at home, not from grand achievements or accolades. **In simple terms:** Happiness is found in modest, everyday moments. Key Takeaway Seek simple joy in daily life. Themes contentment humility home simplicity Mood warm contemplative Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - family life - personal reflection - stress relief - mindful living Key Concepts philosophy human nature well‑being psychology Questions to Reflect On - What simple pleasures bring you peace? - How can you prioritize home life over constant striving? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on grand ambitions can neglect the value of ordinary happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Amusement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amusement/) [Cheerfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheerfulness/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Dimensions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dimensions/) [Disguise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disguise/) [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Intervals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intervals/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Prosecution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosecution/) [Prudence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prudence/) [Shrinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shrinks/) [Splendour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendour/) ## Related quotes > [The great end of prudence is to give cheerfulness to those hours which splendor cannot gild, and acclamation cannot exhilarate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-great-end-of-prudence-is-to-give-cheerfulness-to-those-hours-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [ \[Prudence\] is the virtue of that part of the intellect \[the calculative\] to which it belongs; and . . . our choice of actions… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/prudence-is-the-virtue-of-that-part-of-the-intellect-the-calculative/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Poverty has, in large cities, very different appearances; it is often concealed in splendour, and often in extravagance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/poverty-has-in-large-cities-very-different-appearances-it-is-often/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A transition from an author's book to his conversation is too often like an entrance into a large city, after a distant prospect. Remotely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-transition-from-an-author-s-book-to-his-conversation-is-too-often/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labor tends, and of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/to-be-happy-at-home-is-the-ultimate-result-of-all-ambition-the-end-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The certainty that life cannot be long, and the probability that it will be much shorter than nature allows, ought to awaken every man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-certainty-that-life-cannot-be-long-and-the-probability-that-it-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The love of life is necessary to the vigorous prosecution of any undertaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-love-of-life-is-necessary-to-the-vigorous-prosecution-of-any/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Alas, day, you brought light, You trailed splendour You showed us god: I salute you, most precious one, But I go to a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/alas-day-you-brought-light-you-trailed-splendour-you-showed-us-god-i/) [Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/) > [The creatures with whom we share the planet and whom, in our arrogance, we wrongly patronize for being lesser forms, they are not brethren,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-beston/the-creatures-with-whom-we-share-the-planet-and-whom-in-our-arrogance/) [Henry Beston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-beston/) > [Not to discriminate every moment some passionate attitude in those about us, and in the very brilliancy of their gifts some tragic dividing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-pater/not-to-discriminate-every-moment-some-passionate-attitude-in-those/) [Walter Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-pater/) > [Did I ever tell you,’ said Lymond pausing on the afterthought, on his way to the flap, ‘that that aunt of mine once hatched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-dunnett/did-i-ever-tell-you-said-lymond-pausing-on-the-afterthought-on-his/) [Dorothy Dunnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-dunnett/) > [At a time when it's possible for thirty people to stand on the top of Everest in one day, Antarctica still remains a remote,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/at-a-time-when-it-s-possible-for-thirty-people-to-stand-on-the-top-of/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [“She reads. She reads. She reads words of splendour to comfort her soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-hussein/she-reads-she-reads-she-reads-words-of-splendour-to-comfort-her-soul/) Leila Hussein > [The beauteous dragonfly's dancing By the waves of the rivulet glancing; She dances here and she dances there, The glimmering, glittering flutterer fair. Full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/the-beauteous-dragonfly-s-dancing-by-the-waves-of-the-rivulet/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [The everlasting universe of things Flows through the mind, and rolls its rapid waves, Now dark--now glittering--now reflecting gloom-- Now lending splendour, where from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/the-everlasting-universe-of-things-flows-through-the-mind-and-rolls/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) ## 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 Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great end of prudence is to give cheerfulness to those hours which splendour cannot gild, and acclamation cannot exhilarate; those soft intervals of unbended amusement, in which a man shrinks to his natural dimensions, and throws aside the ornaments or disguises which he feels in privacy to be useless incumbrances, and to lose all effect when they become familiar. 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