Samuel Johnson Quotes

The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities.

Luck is always the last refuge of laziness and incompetence.

Failure is an awful thing, and when I look at the common denominator of failure, it seems to always be the same thing: excuses.

It's easier at times to pick at what someone else does.

When you win, that's what you're expected to do and when you lose, people get on your back.

I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.

Stop taking things personally. Throughout the time with "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Hotel Hell," when they work, you don't get any praise. When they fail, you get blamed. You're f - ed either way, but it doesn't stop me doing them, I think.

I've sold too many books to get good reviews anymore. There's a lot of jealousy, because [reviewers] think they can write a good novel or a best-seller and get frustrated when they can't. I've learned to despise them.

To judge you by your failures is to cast blame upon the seasons for their inconstancy.

Because 98 percent of our ideas are not great ideas, or everyone would be a billionaire. So yeah. That's something people have had a lot of experience in: being told our idea is bad or our performance is bad. I think that's the one common thread between all working actors is that they have a pretty thick skin - or you'd like to hope. You're used to rejection, that's for sure.

I keep having vivid dreams of success. Then it's time to sleep.

Inaction will cause a man to sink into the slough of despond and vanish without a trace.

When we make mistakes they call it evil

Confidence is a fine trait. Over-confidence isn't.

Doing nothing, badly.

Precautions are always blamed. When successful they are said to be unnecessary.

The urging of that word, judgment, hath bred a kind of remorse in me.

Let me not be so vain to think that I'm the sole author of my victories and a victim of my defeats.

There are two wrong reactions to a rejection slip: deciding it's a final judgment on your story and/or talent, and deciding it's no judgment on your story and/or talent.

By our attitude, we decide to read, or not to read. By our attitude, we decide to try or give up. By our attitude, we blame ourselves for our failure, or we blame others. Our attitude determines whether we tell the truth or lie, act or procrastinate, advance or recede, and by our own attitude we and we alone actually decide whether to succeed or fail.

If you lose a game, everyone asks why this player didn't play. If we win, nobody asks.

Whatever you do, you're going to be criticized.

How are his poems?" "He's not as good as he thinks he is, but then most of us feel that way.

There will always be people who think that you have ambitions.