Samuel Johnson on Work as Distraction from Temptation
on Thursday, January 24, 2013Samuel Johnson Money Quotation saying we can be occupied with work for long periods of innocence while keeping us from trouble and strife. Samuel Johnson said:
“There are few ways in which a man can be more innocently employed than in getting money” — Samuel Johnson
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In this quote, Samuel Johnson appears to be suggesting that pursuing financial gain through legitimate, ethical means can be a just and worthwhile endeavor. When he says getting money can be “innocently employed”, Johnson implies that amassing wealth through honest, hard work without harming others is a noble pursuit that should not inherently be seen as negative or greedy.
The quote seems to argue that moneymaking per se is not immoral if done through dignified labor that contributes value. Overall, the interpretation is that Johnson believed accumulating wealth through lawful and productive means could be a morally acceptable part of life, rather than money always corrupting or distracting from higher callings as some philosophies argue.