"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome"
About this Quote
Johnson is taking a scalpel to a mindset that still runs the world: the belief that action is only legitimate once it has been pre-approved by every conceivable doubt. The line is brisk, almost throwaway, but it lands like a verdict. “All possible objections” is the trapdoor phrase - not reasonable criticism, not the obvious risks, but the infinite regress of hypotheticals that turns prudence into paralysis. He’s not arguing against skepticism; he’s indicting the fantasy of perfect preparation.
The intent is practical, even moral. In Johnson’s era of pamphlets, coffeehouse debate, and rising public argument, objections weren’t just intellectual sport; they were a social currency. To demand their total defeat before moving is to outsource agency to the loudest room. Johnson’s subtext is that progress, whether artistic, political, or personal, always begins under conditions of uncertainty. Waiting for unanimity is a polite way of choosing stasis.
What makes the sentence work is its iron logic. It doesn’t flatter courage with romantic language; it uses inevitability. If you set an impossible condition, you guarantee no attempt. The passive construction “will ever be attempted” hints at something broader than individual laziness: a culture that normalizes delay as sophistication. Johnson, a writer who built a dictionary and a career under constant criticism, is quietly reminding readers that objection is endless, but trying is finite - and therefore urgent.
The intent is practical, even moral. In Johnson’s era of pamphlets, coffeehouse debate, and rising public argument, objections weren’t just intellectual sport; they were a social currency. To demand their total defeat before moving is to outsource agency to the loudest room. Johnson’s subtext is that progress, whether artistic, political, or personal, always begins under conditions of uncertainty. Waiting for unanimity is a polite way of choosing stasis.
What makes the sentence work is its iron logic. It doesn’t flatter courage with romantic language; it uses inevitability. If you set an impossible condition, you guarantee no attempt. The passive construction “will ever be attempted” hints at something broader than individual laziness: a culture that normalizes delay as sophistication. Johnson, a writer who built a dictionary and a career under constant criticism, is quietly reminding readers that objection is endless, but trying is finite - and therefore urgent.
Quote Details
| Topic | Motivational |
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