Johnson had a keen eye for human behaviour and a beautiful way with words that earned him many contemporary admirers as well as a lasting legacy.

Samuel Johnson was a sickly child who displayed an unusual intelligence and facility with language even at a very early age. He also displayed some very odd behaviour over the years, such as tics, peculiar noises, and strange gestures, which has led biographers to speculate that he may have suffered from Tourette’s Syndrome.

These oddities made Johnson’s life more difficult, probably costing him several teaching positions and other employments because people felt uncomfortable around him.

Despite these handicaps, he was a prolific writer, critic, and editor. One of his greatest accomplishments was the “Dictionary of the English Language” which took him nine years to complete and was published in 1755.

Samuel Johnson is one of the most widely quoted writers, although many of his most famous quotes actually come from James Boswell’s biography, “Life of Samuel Johnson”. Boswell was a long-time friend and companion of Johnson’s, and his biography stands as one of the most famous of such works.

Quotes like “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”, “A man of genius is seldom ruined but by himself”, and “No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money” seem as insightful and graceful a commentary on the human condition today as they ever were.

London was a topic of great interest to Johnson. One of his best known quotes is, “When a man is tired London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford”.

Samuel Johnson quotes still ring quite true today.

Doctor Johnson’s House

Address: 17 Gough Square, City, EC4A 3DE

Telephone: 020 7353 3745

Photo courtesy: ell brown

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