Quote of the Day — 2026-09-02

Our desires always increase with our possessions.

About Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was an English writer, critic, and lexicographer who dominated London's literary life in the mid-18th century and became known simply as 'Dr. Johnson.' His most famous achievement, 'A Dictionary of the English Language' (1755), took nearly a decade to compile largely single-handedly and remained the standard English dictionary for over a hundred years. Beyond lexicography, he wrote essays, poetry, an edition of Shakespeare, and biographical sketches of poets, and was renowned for his sharp, often devastating wit in conversation. Much of what is known about his personality comes from James Boswell's celebrated biography, 'The Life of Samuel Johnson', which captured his epigrams and moral seriousness. He remains one of the most quoted figures in English letters.

Historical context

Samuel Johnson lived in 18th-century London during a period of rapid economic expansion and the emergence of a modern consumer society. As British trade expanded and urban wealth grew, material goods increasingly defined social standing, triggering moral debates about luxury, ambition, and greed. Thinkers of the era frequently questioned whether rising prosperity truly brought human contentment or merely fueled endless appetites. Though often attributed to Johnson, the statement captures the psychological anxieties of Georgian Britain regarding economic mobility and material trap. As global commercial capitalism expanded over the following centuries, this reflection on the insatiable nature of human ambition endured, evolving into a widely cited maxim on wealth and desire.