Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was an English author, Anglican, and political conservative. Posthumously diagnosed with Tourette syndrome (TS), Johnson was a man who confused and befuddled those who did not know him well. He was a celebrity during his time and wrote a very important dictionary of the English language.
Every man is rich or poor according to the proportion between his desires and his enjoyments
It is better to live rich, than to die rich.
- Samuel Johnson1
The Life of Samuel Johnson, Vol III, April 17, 1778 [↩]
Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult.
A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization.