“To be idle and to be poor have always been reproaches, and therefore every man endeavors with his utmost care to hide his poverty from others and his idleness from himself”
— Samuel Johnson
Simplified Meaning:
People don't like being seen as lazy or poor, so they try very hard to hide these things from others and even from themselves.
Related tags
Appearance Idleness Poverty Reproach Self-deception Self-perception Shame Societal pressure Struggle Work ethicFEATURED QUOTES