Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Thomas Paine (American Nationalist)

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was an English-born political writer and Revolutionary propagandist. His writings convinced many American colonists of the need for independence. He remains an idol to revolutionaries, liberals, socialists, atheists, and freethinkers due to his various writings.

Born in Thetford, England, Paine was a self-educated man. He failed at or was unhappy in every job he tried for the first 24 years of his adult life. After meeting Benjamin Franklin in London and establishing contacts, Paine moved to America and began writing for the Pennsylvania Magazine, of which he became the editor for six months. His contributions included an attack on the institution of slavery.

Paine’s literary eloquence received recognition with the appearance of his 79-page pamphlet titled Common Sense (1776.) With it’s striking diplomatic, commercial, and political arguments in favor of separation from Britain, Paine’s powerful appeal for immediate independence laid the ground for the American Declaration of Independence. Common Sense was an instant success. Newspapers in other colonies reprinted all or part of it. George Washington acknowledged it for mobilizing a “powerful change” in the colonies’ sentiment toward Britain.

After working for the American cause during the remainder of the Revolution, Paine returned to England in 1787. He published The Rights of Man (1791,) in which he vigorously defended republican principles and called Englishmen to arms to overthrow their monarchy. His radical views prompted the British government to indict him for treason. He fled to France and supported the French Revolution.

During a year of imprisonment in France, Paine wrote The Age of Reason (1794,) an attack on orthodox Christianity. It was viewed as a direct attack on the irrationality of revealed religion and defense of deism. The book evoked many angry responses—it was denounced as atheistic and suppressed in England. The Age of Reason is now recognized as one of the most lucid expositions of the rationalist theism of the Enlightenment.

Paine returned to America in 1802 and lived a quiet life until he died in obscurity. Despite the significant contributions made during his lifetime, he was marginalized due to his religious skepticism. He had also already irritated the British (with Common Sense and The Rights of Man,) was not in good terms with the French (because of his opposition the execution of King Louis XVI,) and the Americans (due to his criticism of George Washington.)

More: Wikipedia READ: Works by Thomas Paine

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Character, Reputation, Angels

I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.
I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.
But, lest it should be supposed that I believe in many other things in addition to these, I shall, in the progress of this work, declare the things I do not believe, and my reasons for not believing them.
I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.
All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.
I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Being Ourselves, Churches, Happiness, Religion

Nothing but heaven is impregnable to vice.
Thomas Paine

It can only be by blinding the understanding of man, and making him believe that government is some wonderful mysterious thing, that excessive revenues are obtained. Monarchy is well calculated to ensure this end. It is the popery of government; a thing kept up to amuse the ignorant, and quiet them into taxes.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Taxation

When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Thoughts, Liberty, Thought, Thinking

A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Change, Thought, Defense, Habit, Thoughts, Reason, Thinking, Time

Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Government

The duty of man is plain and simple, and consists but of two points; his duty to God, which every man must feel; and his duty to his neighbor, to do as he would be done by.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Duty

The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime makes the ridiculous, and one step above the ridiculous makes the sublime again.
Thomas Paine

When it becomes necessary to do a thing, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Trying

The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Reason

Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of—for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Reputation

Oppression is often the consequence, but seldom or never the means of riches; and though avarice will preserve a man from being necessitously poor, it generally makes him too timorous to be wealthy.
Thomas Paine

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly; ‘Tis dearness only that gives everything its value.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Obstacles

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Churches, Religion

We still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping at the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised to furnish new pretenses for revenue and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without a tribute
Thomas Paine
Topics: Government

An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Army, Soldiers

There are two distinct classes of what are called thoughts: those that we produce in ourselves by reflection and the act of thinking and those that bolt into the mind of their own accord.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Thinking

The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.
Thomas Paine

Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Religion, Bible

Prejudice, like the spider, makes everywhere its home. It has neither taste nor choice of place, and all that it requires is room. If the one prepares her food by poisoning it to her palate and her use, the other does the same. Prejudice may be denominated the spider of the mind.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Prejudice

Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself in all cases as the ages and generations which preceded it. The vanity of governing beyond the grave is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Generations

Panics, in some cases, have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is always short; the mind soon grows through them and acquires a firmer habit than before. But their peculiar advantage is, that they are the touchstone of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to light, which might have lain forever undiscovered.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Hypocrisy

These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Patriotism, Adversity

The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Purpose, Goodness

A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Balance, Moderation, Vice, Principles

I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, Well! give me peace in my day. Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Duty, Trouble

I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Strength, Smile, Conscience, Men, Brave

It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.
Thomas Paine
Topics: Questions

Though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire
Thomas Paine
Topics: Liberty

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