53. Dog walking on his hind legs; Expectations; Pioneers; Women preaching I told him I had been that morning at a meeting of the people called Quakers, where I had heard a woman preach. Johnson: "Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all." Boswell: Life Link 432. Caution; Pioneers; Vision "Nothing ... will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must be first overcome." Johnson: Rasselas [The Artist] Note: If you haven't read it yet, please read this note of caution regarding quotes from Rasselas. Link 957. Pioneers "The imitator treads a beaten walk, and with all his diligence can only find a few flowers or branches untouched by his predecessor, the refuse of contempt, or the omissions of negligence." Johnson: Rambler #86 (January 12, 1751) Link 1,197. Example; Pioneers "It is impossible to take a view on any side, or observe any of the various classes that form the great community of the world, without discovering the influence of example, and admiring with new conviction the observations of Aristotle, that man is an imitative being. The greater, far the greater number, follow the track which others have beaten, without any curiosity after new discoveries, or ambition of trusting themselves to their own conduct. And, of those who break the ranks and disorder the uniformity of the march, most return in a short time from their deviation, and prefer the equal and steady satisfaction of security before the frolics of caprice and the honours of adventure." Johnson: Rambler #135 (July 2, 1751) Link 1,198. Caution; Fear; Pioneers "In questions difficult or dangerous, it is indeed natural to repose upon authority, and, when fear happens to predominate, upon the authority of those whom we do not in general think wiser than ourselves." Johnson: Rambler #135 (July 2, 1751) Link 1,199. Pioneers "Very few have abilities requisite for the discovery of abstruse truth; and of those few, some want leisure, and some resolution. But it is not so easy to find the reason of the universal submission to precedent where every man might safely judge for himself; where no irreparable loss can hazarded, nor any mischief of long continuance incurred. Vanity might be expected to operate where the more powerful passions are not awakened; the mere pleasure of acknowledging no superior might produce slight singularities, or the hope of gaining some new degree of happiness awaken the mind to invention or experiment." Johnson: Rambler #135 (July 2, 1751) Link 1,577. Pioneers; Self-confidence "They who find themselves inclined to censure new undertakings, only because they are new, should consider, that the folly of projection* is very seldom the folly of a fool; it is commonly the ebullition of a capacious mind, crowded with variety of knowledge, and heated with intenseness of thought; it proceeds often from the consciousness of uncommon powers, from the confidence of those, who having already done much, are easily persuaded that they can do more." Johnson: Adventurer #99 (October 16, 1753) *This is not projection in the psychological sense, but projection in the sense of new ideas and initiatives. Link 1,578. Pioneers; Progress "That the attempts of such men [projectors] will often miscarry, we may reasonably expect; yet from such men, and such only, are we to hope for the cultivation of those parts of nature which lie yet waste, and the invention of those arts which are yet wanting to the felicity of life. If they are, therefore, universally discouraged, art and discovery can make no advances. Whatever is attempted without previous certainty of success, may be considered as a project, and amongst narrow minds may, therefore, expose its author to censure and contempt; and if the liberty of laughing be once indulged, every man will laugh at what he does not understand, every project will be considered as madness, and every great or new design will be censured as a project." Johnson: Adventurer #99 (October 16, 1753) Link 1,579. Ambition; Pioneers; Progress "Those who have attempted much, have seldom failed to perform more than those who never deviate from the common roads of action: many valuable preparations of chymistry are supposed to have risen from unsuccessful enquiries after the grand elixir: it is, therefore, just to encourage those who endeavour to enlarge the power of art, since they often succeed beyond expectation; and when they fail, may sometimes benefit the world even by their miscarriages." Johnson: Adventurer #99 (October 16, 1753) Link