"There are minds so impatient of inferiority that their gratitude is a species of revenge, and they return benefits, not because recompense is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain"
- Samuel Johnson
About this Quote
This quote by Samuel Johnson talks to the idea that some people are so driven by a requirement to be superior that they will just do something out of a sense of obligation, rather than out of enjoyment. They might feel a sense of thankfulness for a benefit they have gotten, however it is not out of a real gratitude for the kindness, however rather out of a desire to be free from the responsibility. This type of person might even take a particular pleasure in returning the favor, as it is a way of asserting their superiority and getting revenge on the person who put them in a position of commitment. In this way, they can restore a sense of control and power.
This quote is written / told by Samuel Johnson between September 18, 1709 and December 13, 1784. He was a famous Author from England.
The author also have 150 other quotes.
"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us"
"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it"