Sir, you must not neglect doing a thing immediately good from fear of remote evil; - from fear of its being abused.
Interpretation
This quote advises against hesitating to do good deeds due to the fear of potential negative consequences.
Samuel Johnson emphasizes the importance of taking action to do good, even when there is a concern that the outcome may not be entirely positive. He illustrates the idea that one should not let the fear of possible abuse or misinterpretation of a good deed prevent them from acting with kindness and generosity. This wisdom urges us to prioritize our intentions and the immediate positive impact of our actions over hypothetical fears of potential misuse.
In practice
A speaker at a charity event can use this quote to encourage contributions without fear of misallocation.
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.
Humility is not disgraceful, and carries no loss of true pride.
It's you who are telling me; opening my eyes to things I'd looked at so long that I'd ceased to see them.
We must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
The past doesn't determine your future unless you carry it with you into the present. Forgiving yourself and others, you free the universe to begin again at any moment.
We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change you're the one who has got to change.
As long as you are unable to access the power of the Now, every emotional pain that you experience leaves behind a residue of pain that lives on in you.
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