Samuel Quotes

Few men survey themselves with so much severity as not to admit prejudices in their own favor.

The truth is that the spectators are always in their senses, and know, from the first act to the last, that the stage is only a stage, and that the players are only players.

A merchant may, perhaps, be a man of an enlarged mind, but there is nothing in trade connected with an enlarged mind.

Marriage is the best state for man in general, and every man is a worst man in proportion to the level he is unfit for marriage.

I would consent to have a limb amputated to recover my spirits

We owe to memory not only the increase of our knowledge, and our progress in rational inquiries, but many other intellectual pleasures

Those who have no power to judge of past times but by their own, should always doubt their conclusions

I respect Millar, sir: he has raised the price of literature.

Justice is indispensably and universally necessary, and what is necessary must always be limited, uniform, and distinct

A coxcomb is ugly all over with the effectation of a fine gentleman.

The friendship which is to be practised or expected by common mortals, must take its rise from mutual pleasure, and must end when the power ceases of delighting each other.

The purpose of a writer is to be read, and the criticism which would destroy the power of pleasing must be blown aside

Love has no great influences upon the sum of life.

There is always something a woman will prefer to the truth.

When a Man is tried of London, he is tired of life.

An infallible characteristic of meanness is cruelty. Men who have practiced tortures on animals without pity, relating them without shame, how can they still hold their heads among human beings?

The liberty of using harmless pleasure will not be disputed; but it is still to be examined what pleasures are harmless.

When the eye or the imagination is struck with an uncommon work, the next transition of an active mind is to the means by which it was performed

A ship is worse than a gaol. There is, in a gaol, better air, better company, better conveniency of every kind; and a ship has the additional disadvantage of of being in danger.

A soldier's time is passed in distress and danger, or in idleness and corruption.

The happiness of London is not to be conceived but by those who have been in it.

To do nothing is in everyone's power.

On Sir Joshua Reynolds's observing that the real character of a man was found out by his amusements. Yes, Sir, no man is a hypocrite in his pleasures.

From all our observations we may collect with certainty, that misery is the lot of man, but cannot discover in what particular condition it will find most alleviations.

Much mischief is done in the world with very little interest or design.

Men are most powerfully affected by those evils which themselves feel, or which appear before their own eyes.

Frequent discontent must proceed from frequent hardships.

I do not know, sir, that the fellow is an infidel; but if he be an infidel, he is an infidel as a dog is an infidel; that is to say, he has never thought upon the subject.

The liberty of the press is a blessing when we are inclined to write against others, and a calamity when we find ourselves overborne by the multitude of our assailants.

No wonder, Sir, that he is vain; a man who is perpetually flattered in every mode that can be conceived. So many bellows have blown the fire, that one wonders he is not by this time become a cinder.

But, perhaps, the flatterer is not often detected; for an honest mind is not apt to suspect, and no one exerts the power of discernment with much vigour when selflove favors the deceit.

Men seldom give pleasure when they are not pleased themselves.

What is read twice is usually remembered more than what is once written.

The fountain of contentment must spring up in the mind.

The faults of a man loved or honoured sometimes steal secretly and imperceptibly upon the wise and virtuous, but by injudicious fondness or thoughtless vanity are adopted with design.

I get paid all day, every day, which is almost too much for a sensitive artist.

I like books. I've always got a literature book going. I'd be in there reading, in my off time.

I'm pretty focused on what I do. I think directing is a very specific talent, and I'm not real big on putting puzzles together, which is basically what a film is.

I actually think it's going to be the intriguing plot [ in Black Snake Moan] point that brings people into the film.

Because of where I come from, I never thought I'd see in my life a black candidate running for President.

I kind of realize that I have a tendency to choose the kind of films I watched when I was a kid and would go home and pretend with my friends that we were in those movies after we saw them.

Certain comedians work with certain actors; like Adam Sandler worked with Jack Nicholson.

I’ve consequently played a lot of different cops from a lot of different kind of law enforcement agencies.

It's often hope, hopeful movie making. You're always looking for catchphrases. That's always funny, when you're looking for that future line. "Uh oh, future line. Okay."

I love to play real people... good people that I know the audience will get behind. It's the good people in the world that I gravitate to.

I never thought I'd be working with Sam [L.Jackson] .That's about as good as it gets.

When you start to talk about comic books, a lot of the time, people forget about the comic part of it. They need to be funny.

Sam [L.Jackson] never asks for another take because he knows what he's doing. He gives you what he thinks is the best take, and he does it on the first take.

I'm sure there are a lot of Italians who refer to themselves as goombahs and greaseballs and whatever. That's what people do. It gives them a sort of familiarity that other people don't have.

I've never considered myself a comedian. I'm a comedic actor.