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
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Sri Aurobindo Indian Mystic, Philosopher, Poet
- Benjamin Franklin American Founding Father, Inventor
- Thomas Jefferson American Head of State
- Voltaire French Philosopher, Author
- William Penn American Entrepreneur
- Humphry Davy British Chemist
- Harriet Beecher Stowe American Abolitionist
- Noah Webster American Lexicographer
- Arthur C. Clarke English Science-fiction Writer
- George Washington American Head of State
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