The gratification which affluence of wealth, extent of power, and eminence of reputation confer, must be always, by their own nature, confined to a very small number; and the life of the greater part of mankind must be lost in empty wishes and painful comparisons, were not the balm of philosophy shed upon us, and our discontent at the appearances of unequal distribution soothed and appeased.
Interpretation
Wealth and power are privileges enjoyed by a few, leaving many dissatisfied, but philosophy helps reconcile these feelings.
Samuel Johnson reflects on the nature of wealth, power, and reputation, noting that these benefits are not universally accessible and often lead to dissatisfaction among the majority. He suggests that without the guidance and comfort of philosophy, people would be consumed by envy and longing for what they cannot have. Philosophy serves as a remedy, helping individuals manage their discontent and find peace amidst the inequalities of life.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about the impact of wealth on happiness during a philosophy class.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
You have no idea how much nastier I would be if I was not a Catholic. Without supernatural aid I would hardly be a human being.
It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law
We must be careful with our lives, for Christ's sake, because it would seem that they are the only lives we are going to have in this puzzling and perilous world, and so they are very precious and what we do with them matters enormously.
Our thoughts are clay, they are moulded with the changes of the days;--when we are resting they are good; under fire, they are dead. Fields of craters within and without.
There are eight rungs in charity. The highest is when you help a man to help himself.
Well I do think there are people who are habitually negative and depressed and take the opposite approach because they imagine the worst, and their minds become dominated by that. They let their own emotions and expectations transform their perceptions of the world.
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