Section 87. DR. JOHNSON ON[1] DEBT.
Reading edition
Section 87. DR. JOHNSON ON[1] DEBT.
Dr. Johnson held[2] that[3] debt is ruin. His[4] words on the subject are weighty, and worthy of being held in remembrance. “Do not,” said[5] he, “accustom[6] yourself to consider debt only as[7] an inconvenience. You[8] will find it a calamity. Poverty takes[9] away so many means of doing good, and[10] produces so much inability to resist evil, that it[11] is by[12] all virtuous means to be avoided. Let[13] it be your first care, then, not to be in any man’s debt. Resolve[14] not[15] to be poor. Whatever[16] you have, spend less. Poverty[17] is a great enemy to human happiness. It destroys liberty. It makes some[18] virtues impracticable[19] and others[20] extremely difficult. Frugality[21] is not only the basis of[22] quiet, but[23] of beneficence[24]. No[25] man can help others that wants himself. We must have[26] enough, before[27] we have to spare.”—S. Smiles, Self-Help.
We will accustom ourselves to be thrifty. Wir wollen uns daran gewöhnen, sparsam zu sein.
Do not excuse yourself with having had no time. Entschuldigen Sie sich nicht damit, daß Sie keine Zeit gehabt haben.
The verb sich gewöhnen requires the prep. an. Construe accordingly, and use the 2nd pers. sing.