Samuel Johnson

Birth: 1709-09-18 , Lichfield

Death: 1784-12-13 , Londres

Samuel Johnson was a prominent 18th-century English writer, lexicographer, essayist, poet, and literary critic. He is widely regarded as one of the most important literary figures in British history, famous for his 'A Dictionary of the English Language'.

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It is better that some should be unhappy than that none should be happy, which would be the case in a general state of equality.

All envy is proportionate to desire; we are uneasy at the attainments of another, according as we think

A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner.

Wine gives a man nothing. It neither gives him knowledge nor wit; it only animates a man, and enables him to bring out what a dread of the company has repressed.

Fine clothes are good only as they supply the want of other means of procuring respect.

A man with a good coat upon his back meets with a better reception than he who has a bad one.

Many things difficult to design prove easy to performance.

Life is a progress from want to want, not from enjoyment to enjoyment.

Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion, and he whose real wants are supplied must admit those of fancy.

Pity is not natural to man. Children always are cruel. Savages are always cruel.

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Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784) was an English writer who became one of the most celebrated intellectuals of his time. Born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, he struggled with ill health and financial difficulties for much of his life. His most influential work, 'A Dictionary of the English Language' (1755), was a landmark in English lexicography, defining the vocabulary and spelling of the language. Johnson also produced insightful essays, sermons, poems, and biographies, including 'Lives of the Poets'. He was a central figure in London's literary circles, known for his sharp wit, brilliant conversation, and strong opinions. His life and work were immortalized in James Boswell's 'Life of Samuel Johnson', one of the most important biographies in English literature.