There will always be a part, and always a very large part of every community, that have no care but for themse... — Samuel Johnson

There will always be a part, and always a very large part of every community, that have no care but for themselves, and whose care for themselves reaches little further than impatience of immediate pain, and eagerness for the nearest good.

Author: Samuel Johnson

Insight: Most people aren't villains—they're just exhausted and focused on getting through today. Johnson's brutal honesty cuts through the myth that society runs on shared values; it mostly runs on everyone scratching their own itch. Knowing this changes how you judge your neighbors, and yourself.

Source: The Idler, no. 17, 1758

/Quotes

There will always be a part, and always a very large part of every community, that have no care but for themselves, and whose care for themselves reaches little further than impatience of immediate pain, and eagerness for the nearest good.

Samuel JohnsonThe Idler, no. 17, 1758

Insight

Most people aren't villains—they're just exhausted and focused on getting through today. Johnson's brutal honesty cuts through the myth that society runs on shared values; it mostly runs on everyone scratching their own itch. Knowing this changes how you judge your neighbors, and yourself.

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Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) was an English writer, lexicographer, and critic who is best known for his influential work, "A Dictionary of the English Language," published in 1755. Johnson's witty essays, literary criticism, and biographies were also highly regarded during the 18th century and continue to be studied for their insights into the English language and literature.

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