Samuel Johnson in Grub Street.

"Silence," Kierkegaard has written, "is the snare of the demon, and the more one keeps silent, the more terrifying the demon becomes; but silence is also the mutual understanding between the Deity and the individual." Samuel Johnson recognized this paradox. Often trapped in silence by the demon of his fears, he was during dark, introspective moments in his closest communion with the deity. His need for intimate social exchange is summed up thus: "To have no assistance from other minds, in resolving doubts, in appeasing scruples, in balancing deliberations, is a very wretched destitution." Yet this gregarious man experienced crises when, unable to confide in anyone, he surrendered himself spiritually and strove for relief in the composition of prayers. The intensity of his private fears was magnified on solemn occasions, most notably Easter, New Year's Day, and his birthdays. With the advent of these anniversaries, he was troubled by the urgency of his religious obligations. A recurrent awe of judgement and resurrection, of the duties he must fulfil in the period from one new year to the next or from one birthday to the next, filled him with fear and trembling. It was at such times, therefore, that he sought most directly for divine intervention.

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Samuel Johnson in Grub Street.

Cited by 2 publications

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Auctor et Auctoritas: Dr. Johnson’s Views on the Authority of Authorship

Auctor et Auctoritas: Dr. Johnson’s Views on the Authority of Authorship

Johnson's "Divided Self"

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