We would all be idle if we could.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon
Read The Life of Samuel Johnson at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Laziness Idleness Human nature

Speaker

Samuel Johnson

Author

James Boswell

Source

The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D

Genre

Biography

Language

English

Time

1776 1770s 18th century

Era

Age of Enlightenment

Occupation

Writer

From

United Kingdom Europe

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 3 Apr. 1776.

Current Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Samuel Johnson about laziness: “We would all be idle if we could.”
Download
A quote by Samuel Johnson about laziness: “We would all be idle if we could.”
Download
A quote by Samuel Johnson about laziness: “We would all be idle if we could.”
Download

Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by Samuel Johnson

No, Sir; to act from pure benevolence is not possible for finite beings. Human benevolence is mingled with vanity, interest, or some other motive.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon
Read The Life of Samuel Johnson at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Altruism What motivates people Motivation
Speaker
Samuel Johnson

Author

James Boswell
Source
The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D
Genre
Biography
Language
English
Time
1776 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 26 Apr. 1776.

Current Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

Another quote from the 1770s

I die adoring God, loving my friends, not hating my enemies, and detesting superstition.

Voltaire

More information about this quote
Topic
Approaching death

Author

Voltaire
Language
French
Time
1778 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 1
Citation

Voltaire. Note to his secretary, Jean-Louis Wagniere. 28 Feb. 1778.

Another quote about Human nature

Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind.

Gordon Gekko

Wall Street

Watch Wall Street at Amazon Watch Wall Street at Amazon
More information about this quote
Topic
Greed Capitalism Progress Human nature
Speaker
Gordon Gekko
Actor
Michael Douglas
Source
Wall Street
Medium
Film
Genre
Drama (film) Drama
Language
English
Time
1987 1980s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Wall Street. Directed by Oliver Stone, American Entertainment Partners/American Films, 1987.

Another quote from 1776

With the greater part of rich people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches; which, in their eye is never so complete as when they appear to possess those decisive marks of opulence which nobody can possess but themselves.

Adam Smith

The Wealth of Nations

Buy The Wealth of Nations Books 1-3 at Amazon Buy The Wealth of Nations Books 1-3 at Amazon
Read The Wealth of Nations at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
The rich Display of wealth Status games

Author

Adam Smith
Source
The Wealth of Nations
Genre
Economic literature
Language
English
Time
1776 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations. Vol. 1, London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776, bk. 1, ch. 11, pt. 2.

Current Citation

Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, edited by Edwin Cannan. The Modern Library, bk. 1, ch. 11, pt. 2.

Another quote from Age of Enlightenment

Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.

Immanuel Kant

More information about this quote
Topic
Imperfection Human nature

Author

Immanuel Kant
Source
Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Purpose
Medium
Essay
Genre
Philosophical literature
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
German
Time
1784 1780s 18th century
Era
Age of Enlightenment
Authentication Score 2
Citation

Kant, Immanuel. "Idee zu einer allgemeinen Geschichte in weltbürgerlicher Absicht [Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Purpose]." Berlinische Monatsschrift, Nov. 1784.