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

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

One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings is, that nature disapproves it; otherwise she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule by giving mankind an ass in place of a lion.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Kings

It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by ;degrees, the consequences will be the same.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Reason

If there is a country in the world where concord, according to common calculation, would be least expected, it is America. Made up as it is of people from different nations, accustomed to different forms and habits of government, speaking different languages, and more different in their modes of worship, it would appear that the union of such a people was impracticable; but by the simple operation of constructing government on the principles of society and the rights of man, every difficulty retires, and all the parts are brought into cordial unison. There the poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged. Industry is not mortified by the splendid extravagance of a court rioting at its expense. Their taxes are few, because their government is just: and as there is nothing to render them wretched, there is nothing to engender riots and tumults.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: America

Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Religion

To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Reason

That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its goods.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Values, Appreciation, Value, Conscience

And as to you, Sir, treacherous in private friendship and a hypocrite in public life, the world will be puzzled to decide whether you are an apostate or an impostor; whether you have abandoned good principles, or whether you ever had any.
—Thomas Paine

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

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

Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Belief

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

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

Character is much easier kept than recovered.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Character, Integrity

He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Oppression, Government, Liberty

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

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

Titles are but nicknames, and every nickname is a title.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Identity

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

He is not affected by the reality of distress touching his heart, but by the showy resemblance of it striking his imagination. He pities the plumage, but forgets the dying bird.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Emotions

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

The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Religion

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: Forgiveness, Winning, Risk, Miscellaneous, Stress, Difficulties, Smiling, Adversity, Attitude, Trouble

Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter we are known at home, by the former to the world. Our great title is AMERICANS—our inferior one varies with the place.
—Thomas Paine

A bad cause will never be supported by bad means and bad men.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Reason

When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Virtue, Posterity, Planning

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

To establish any mode to abolish war, however advantageous it might be to Nations, would be to take from such Government the most lucrative of its branches.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: War

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

The true greatness of a nation is founded on principles of humanity.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Humanity

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