--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who are in the power of evil habits…" description: "\"Those who are in the power of evil habits must conquer them as they can; and conquered they must be, or neither wisdom nor happiness can be attained: b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/samuel-johnson-50_caution_those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habit_259883.png" --- # Those who are in the power of evil habits must conquer… ![“Those who are in the power of evil habits must conquer them as they can; and conquered they must be, or neither wisdom nor happiness can be attained: but those who are not yet subject to their influence may, by timely caution, preserve their freedom;” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/samuel-johnson-50_caution_those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habit_259883.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/samuel-johnson-50_caution_those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habit_259883.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/samuel-johnson-50_caution_those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habit_259883.png) > “Those who are in the power of evil habits must conquer them as they can; and conquered they must be, or neither wisdom nor happiness can be attained: but those who are not yet subject to their influence may, by timely caution, preserve their freedom;” [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. Evil habits dominate unless actively resisted; without overcoming them, wisdom and happiness remain out of reach. **In simple terms:** Bad habits block wisdom and joy. Key Takeaway Conquer harmful habits to gain freedom. Themes self-discipline wisdom freedom habit Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - mental health - decision making - addiction recovery Key Concepts philosophy ethics self‑control Questions to Reflect On - What habit limits your growth? - How can you create timely caution? A Different Perspective Habits can be deeply ingrained, making change difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caution/) [Conquer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquer/) [Conquered Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquered-wisdom-2564197/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-habits-667548/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-evil-281353/) [Preserve Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preserve-freedom-312784/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Timely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timely/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Evil habits, in which men indulge, are the chief cause of disease in the physical as well as the mental state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/evil-habits-in-which-men-indulge-are-the-chief-cause-of-disease-in/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“I allow that it is easier to touch the body of a saint, or to be magnetised, than to restrain our appetites or govern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/i-allow-that-it-is-easier-to-touch-the-body-of-a-saint-or-to-be/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [Where evil habits are once settled, they are more easily broken than mended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintilian/where-evil-habits-are-once-settled-they-are-more-easily-broken-than/) [Quintilian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quintilian/) > [The beloved may be treacherous, greasy-headed and given to evil habits, or else it can be a man in his late forties who works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/the-beloved-may-be-treacherous-greasy-headed-and-given-to-evil-habits/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [I stopped believing there was a power of good and a power of evil that were outside us. And I came to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-stopped-believing-there-was-a-power-of-good-and-a-power-of-evil/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“The power of evil was nothing more than a tangible thing, something that given the strength of will, could be broken as easily as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-robinson/the-power-of-evil-was-nothing-more-than-a-tangible-thing-something/) [Nathan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-robinson/) > [Of course you'll encounter trouble. But behold a God of power who can take any evil and turn it into a door of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/of-course-you-ll-encounter-trouble-but-behold-a-god-of-power-who-can/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [The search for power begins when we're quite young. As children, were taught that the power of good triumphs over the power of evil.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desperate-housewives/the-search-for-power-begins-when-we-re-quite-young-as-children-were/) [Desperate Housewives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desperate-housewives/) > [Surprise is the tool of the Devil and it is the greatest power of the evil forces!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/surprise-is-the-tool-of-the-devil-and-it-is-the-greatest-power-of-the/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“There's an old phrase, Matthew says. Knowledge is power. Power to do evil, like Jeanine... or power to do good, like what we're doing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-s-an-old-phrase-matthew-says-knowledge-is-power-power-to-do/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“The very power of evil is that it is not recognizable to us most of the time. It is not repellent at all. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-perry/the-very-power-of-evil-is-that-it-is-not-recognizable-to-us-most-of/) [Anne Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-perry/) > [It is by its promise of a sense of power that evil often attracts the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-by-its-promise-of-a-sense-of-power-that-evil-often-attracts-the/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/power-itself-is-not-evil-so-knowledge-itself-is-not-evil/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Now I know the full power of evil. It makes ugliness seem beautiful and goodness seem ugly and weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/now-i-know-the-full-power-of-evil-it-makes-ugliness-seem-beautiful/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Approach the universe with Tao, And evil will have no power. Not that evil is not powerful, But its power will not be used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/approach-the-universe-with-tao-and-evil-will-have-no-power-not-that/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## 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 Caution quotes > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [It requires as much to tell the truth as to conceal it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/it-requires-as-much-to-tell-the-truth-as-to-conceal-it/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [“…there’s nothing in this world that demands more caution than the truth. To tell the truth is like leeching one’s own heart...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-s-nothing-in-this-world-that-demands-more-caution-than-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [There is one stark fact facing us: three quarters of all crime that results in a caution or sentence happens because of reoffending. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gauke/there-is-one-stark-fact-facing-us-three-quarters-of-all-crime-that/) [David Gauke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gauke/) > [The four cautions: Beware a woman in front of you, beware a horse behind of you, beware a cart beside of you, and beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-o-neill/the-four-cautions-beware-a-woman-in-front-of-you-beware-a-horse/) [Jamie O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-o-neill/) > [“Oh ... why not?' he smiled. "This valley is a pleasant spot for meditation. I like New England... it is here that I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oh-why-not-he-smiled-this-valley-is-a-pleasant-spot-for-meditation-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear and caution are two different things. Be cautious - be conscious - but do not be fearful. Fear only paralyzes, while consciousness mobilizes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/fear-and-caution-are-two-different-things-be-cautious-be-conscious/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [ “\[U\]se extreme caution, and please remember that 451 degrees Fahrenheit is more than just a book a title…” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammon-shea/u-se-extreme-caution-and-please-remember-that-451-degrees-fahrenheit/) [Ammon Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ammon-shea/) > [I often found myself in situations where I had, without thinking, said too much to too many with too little caution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/i-often-found-myself-in-situations-where-i-had-without-thinking-said/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [The future is inherently full of discontinuities, and lessons of the past must be applied with enormous caution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-future-is-inherently-full-of-discontinuities-and-lessons-of-the/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [Every human being has, like Socrates, an attendant spirit; and wise are they who obey its signals. 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Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [“Love everyone but chose your friends with caution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mensah-oteh/love-everyone-but-chose-your-friends-with-caution/) [Mensah Oteh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mensah-oteh/) [Browse all 640 Caution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Those who are in the power of evil habits must conquer them as they can; and conquered they must be, or neither wisdom nor happiness can be attained: but those who are not yet subject to their influence may, by timely caution, preserve their freedom;", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habits-must-conquer-them-as-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caution" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habits-must-conquer-them-as-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/samuel-johnson-50_caution_those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habit_259883.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/samuel-johnson-50_caution_those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habit_259883.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/samuel-johnson-50_caution_those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habit_259883.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Those who are in the power of evil habits must conquer them as they can; and conquered they must be, or…” — 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": "Those who are in the power...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habits-must-conquer-them-as-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/those-who-are-in-the-power-of-evil-habits-must-conquer-them-as-they/#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 } } ] } ```