--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While an author is yet living, we…" description: "\"While an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by his worst performance; and when he is dead, we rate him by his best.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/samuel-johnson-50_books_while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimat_1007613.png" --- # While an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by… ![“While an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by his worst performance; and when he is dead, we rate him by his best.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/samuel-johnson-50_books_while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimat_1007613.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/samuel-johnson-50_books_while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimat_1007613.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/samuel-johnson-50_books_while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimat_1007613.png) > “While an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by his worst performance; and when he is dead, we rate him by his best.” [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. We judge living authors by their flaws, but after death we often remember only their best works. **In simple terms:** We judge living writers by bad work, dead writers by good work. Key Takeaway Avoid letting current failures define a legacy. Themes legacy judgment art time reputation Mood thoughtful contemplative Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - career planning - creative endeavors - historical analysis - personal growth Key Concepts critical assessment posthumous reputation artistic value Questions to Reflect On - How might future generations view your current work? - What can you do now to ensure a lasting positive impact? A Different Perspective Current judgments can be unfair and short‑sighted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Author Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author-living-2167373/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead/) [Estimate Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/estimate-powers-2167374/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Powers Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powers-worst-2167372/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [While an author is yet living we estimate his powers by his worst performance, and when he is dead we rate them by his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimate-his-powers-by-his-worst-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Between the reputation of the author living and the reputation of the same author dead there is ever a wide discrepancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bailey-aldrich/between-the-reputation-of-the-author-living-and-the-reputation-of-the/) [Thomas Bailey Aldrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bailey-aldrich/) > [Instead of rating the man by his performances, we rate too frequently the performances by the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/instead-of-rating-the-man-by-his-performances-we-rate-too-frequently/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [When we deal in generalities, we shall never succeed. When we deal in specifics, we shall rarely have a failure. When performance is measured,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/when-we-deal-in-generalities-we-shall-never-succeed-when-we-deal-in/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [The real secret of magic lies in the performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/the-real-secret-of-magic-lies-in-the-performance/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [How much we like ourselves governs our performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/how-much-we-like-ourselves-governs-our-performance/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I know what I want, and I know what needs to be done to make my performance better. So I do these little askings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-netrebko/i-know-what-i-want-and-i-know-what-needs-to-be-done-to-make-my/) [Anna Netrebko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-netrebko/) > [Rapturous and full bodied performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-jowitt/rapturous-and-full-bodied-performance/) [Deborah Jowitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-jowitt/) > [There is no better education than rap battling in terms of performance. 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It's on the increase, as you say. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/performance-capture-is-a-tool-that-young-actors-will-need-in-the-next/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [I am always really buzzed after each performance, and at around one in the morning, Ill hit a brick wall and need to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hattie-morahan/i-am-always-really-buzzed-after-each-performance-and-at-around-one-in/) [Hattie Morahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hattie-morahan/) > [The best thing about the term 'performance artist' is that it includes just about everything you might want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/the-best-thing-about-the-term-performance-artist-is-that-it-includes/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) ## 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. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "While an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by his worst performance; and when he is dead, we rate him by his best.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimate-his-powers-by-his-worst/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimate-his-powers-by-his-worst/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/samuel-johnson-50_books_while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimat_1007613.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/samuel-johnson-50_books_while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimat_1007613.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/samuel-johnson-50_books_while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimat_1007613.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by his worst performance; and when he is dead, we rate…” — 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": "While an author is yet living,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimate-his-powers-by-his-worst/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/while-an-author-is-yet-living-we-estimate-his-powers-by-his-worst/#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 } } ] } ```