No man ever yet became great by imitation. Whatever hopes for the veneration of mankind must have invention in the design or the execution; either the effect must itself be new, or the means by which it is produced. Either truths hitherto unknown must be discovered, or those which are already known enforced by stronger […]
Samuel Johnson Quotes
Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble.
The imitator treads a beaten walk, and with all his diligence can only find a few flowers or branches untouched by his predecessor, the refuse of contempt, or the omissions of negligence.
Imagination, a licentious and vagrant faculty, unsusceptible of limitations and impatient of restraint, has always endeavoured to baffle the logician, to perplex the confines of distinction, and burst the enclosures of regularity.
Were it not for imagination, a man would be as happy in the arms of a chambermaid as a dutchess.
Imagination selects ideas from the treasures of remembrance, and produces novelty only by varied combinations.
The man who feels himself ignorant should, at least, be modest.
All wonder is the effect of novelty on ignorance.
Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it.
He that voluntarily continues in ignorance, is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces.
