[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fctX-yNMquQxyC6j-uzfXnFWmwsF2ACY_2YNfQ2LMKwg":3,"$fj4-hTc3Os0fZtKQKaDToO67we67wH7Qepyh_X8XYVf8":64},{"author":4,"tags":51},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":10,"bio_jsonld":11,"slug":49,"image_url":50},2878,"Samuel Butler","S",413,"Samuel Butler was a British novelist, composer, and science fiction writer born on 4 December 1835 in Langar, Nottinghamshire.\n\nEducated at Shrewsbury School and St John's College, Butler went on to work across a striking range of fields — he was at various points a farmer, painter, photographer, philologist, and translator, in addition to his pursuits as a composer and author. His fiction included the satirical utopian novel Erewhon, published in 1872, and the semi-autobiographical novel The Way of All Flesh. He also produced prose translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey, work that sat alongside his broader activities as a scholar writing in English. Butler died on 18 June 1902 on St John's Wood Road in London.\n\nAcross his career, Butler returned repeatedly to several areas of inquiry: Christian orthodoxy, evolutionary thought, and Italian art each drew his sustained attention. That combination — skeptical examination of received religious and scientific ideas alongside a serious engagement with visual culture — runs through much of what he produced as a writer and scholar.","Samuel Butler was a British novelist, composer, and science fiction writer born on 4 December 1835 in Langar, Nottinghamshire.",{"@graph":12,"@context":48},[13,25],{"@id":14,"name":6,"@type":15,"sameAs":16,"birthDate":22,"deathDate":23,"description":24},"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312829","Person",[14,17,18,19,20,21],"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Butler_(novelist)","https://viaf.org/viaf/49578292/","https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79056643","https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL24761A","https://d-nb.info/gnd/118665561","1835-12-04","1902-06-18","English novelist and critic (1835–1902)",{"@type":26,"author":27,"headline":30,"isBasedOn":31,"mainEntity":32,"reviewedBy":33,"articleBody":9,"dateCreated":34,"dateModified":35,"additionalProperty":36,"creativeWorkStatus":47},"Article",{"name":28,"@type":29},"Editorial Team","Organization","Samuel Butler — biography",[14,17,19,20],{"@id":14},{"name":28,"@type":29},"2026-05-24T12:13:36.084937+00:00","2026-05-24T12:34:19.462590+00:00",[37,41,44],{"@type":38,"value":39,"propertyID":40},"PropertyValue","Q312829","wikidata",{"@type":38,"value":42,"propertyID":43},"1.000","factscore",{"@type":38,"value":45,"propertyID":46},"claude-sonnet-4-6","draftModel","AI-drafted, auto-published","https://schema.org","samuel-butler",null,[52,56,60],{"tag_id":53,"tag_name":54,"tag_count":55},326,"men",17,{"tag_id":57,"tag_name":58,"tag_count":59},63,"funny",6,{"tag_id":61,"tag_name":62,"tag_count":63},222,"inspirational",5,{"quotes":65,"pagination":130},[66,75,81,87,93,99,106,112,118,124],{"id":67,"quote_text":68,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":74},4028282,"A man's friendships are invalidated by his marriage, but they are also no less invalidated by the marriage of his friends.",8,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nThis poignant quote is attributed to Samuel Butler, an English novelist and satirist, likely penned during his later years in the late 19th century. At that time, Butler was grappling with the societal expectations placed upon individuals, particularly men, to conform to traditional norms of marriage and social responsibility. His own experiences with loneliness and feelings of disconnection may have influenced this candid observation on friendship and matrimony.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nButler's statement reveals a counter-intuitive truth: that the formation of new relationships through marriage can simultaneously sever existing friendships. This paradox underscores the tension between the personal and social aspects of relationships, highlighting how societal expectations can disrupt even the most meaningful connections. By pointing out this hidden dynamic, Butler invites us to reevaluate our understanding of friendship, loyalty, and the impact of life's major milestones.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this mindset today, recognize that significant life changes, including marriage and new relationships, can have a ripple effect on your existing friendships. Rather than taking it for granted that these connections will remain strong through adversity, proactively nurture and communicate with your friends to ensure their continued relevance in your life.",{"id":76,"quote_text":77,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":78,"source":79,"quote_tag":80,"commentary":50},4028277,"Life is like music. It must be composed by ear, feeling, and instinct, not by rule.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":82,"quote_text":83,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":84,"source":85,"quote_tag":86,"commentary":50},4028273,"It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":88,"quote_text":89,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":90,"source":91,"quote_tag":92,"commentary":50},4028263,"It is an unconscious liar that is the greatest liar.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":94,"quote_text":95,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":96,"source":97,"quote_tag":98,"commentary":50},4028246,"Chief of domestic knights and errant, / Either for cartel or for warrant; / Great on the bench, great in the saddle, / That could as well bind o'er, as swaddle; / Mighty he was at both of these, / And styl'd of war, as well as peace.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":100,"quote_text":101,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":102,"source":103,"quote_tag":104,"commentary":105},4028238,"If life is an illusion, then so is death - the greatest of all illusions. If life must not be taken too seriously, then so neither must death.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is reminiscent of Samuel Butler's satirical and introspective works, particularly his novel \"Erewhon\" (1872), where he explores the themes of mortality, morality, and the human condition. As a historian, I note that during this period in Butler's life, he was grappling with the concept of mortality after experiencing the loss of loved ones. His writing often reflected a philosophical detachment from conventional norms.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a counter-intuitive truth: by not taking death seriously, one is forced to confront its inevitability and, paradoxically, find freedom in accepting life's transience. By acknowledging that both life and death are illusions, Butler's statement suggests an acceptance of the present moment, unencumbered by fear or anxiety about the unknown.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn today's fast-paced world, applying this mindset means embracing a \"present-focused\" approach: rather than getting bogged down in thoughts about past regrets or future anxieties, focus on making meaningful choices and engaging with life's experiences without attachment to their outcome. By doing so, one can tap into a sense of liberation from the constraints of mortality, allowing for a more authentic and engaged experience of life.",{"id":107,"quote_text":108,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":109,"source":110,"quote_tag":111,"commentary":50},4028232,"The gods are those who either have money or do not want it.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":113,"quote_text":114,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":115,"source":116,"quote_tag":117,"commentary":50},4028222,"A man's style in any art should be like his dress — it should attract as little attention as possible.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":119,"quote_text":120,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":121,"source":122,"quote_tag":123,"commentary":50},4028210,"It is hard to come down the social ladder without tumbling off.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"id":125,"quote_text":126,"author_id":5,"source_id":69,"has_image":70,"author":127,"source":128,"quote_tag":129,"commentary":50},4028205,"The day runs through me as water through a sieve.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":49,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":50},{},[],{"currentPage":131,"totalPages":132,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":133},1,42,10]