Guess quote

Thomas Paine [1737-1809] English

Rank: 4
Writer, Founding Father of the United States

Thomas Paine was an English-American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he inspired the rebels in 1776 to declare independence from Britain.

Religion, God, Death, Government, Peace, Strength, Business, Faith, Freedom, Good, Men, Power, Smile, Society, Time, War, Wisdom, Best, Equality, Fear, Great, Happiness, Inspirational, Love, Motivational, Nature, Politics, Science, Truth, Women

Quote	Tags	Rank
The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.	Smile, Strength	101
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.	Motivational	102
The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.	Good, Religion	103
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.	Equality	104
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.	Business, Death, Fear, Love, Smile, Strength	105
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.	Best, Government	106
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.	Wisdom	107
If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.	Peace	108
I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace.	Peace, Time	109
Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.	Faith, God	110
An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.	Peace	111
Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it.	Great	112
There are matters in the Bible, said to be done by the express commandment of God, that are shocking to humanity and to every idea we have of moral justice.	God	113
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.		114
Character is much easier kept than recovered.		115
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.	Good, Religion	116
Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.	God, Men, Women	117
Virtues are acquired through endeavor, Which rests wholly upon yourself. So, to praise others for their virtues Can but encourage one's own efforts.		118
The abilities of man must fall short on one side or the other, like too scanty a blanket when you are abed. If you pull it upon your shoulders, your feet are left bare; if you thrust it down to your feet, your shoulders are uncovered.		119
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.	Freedom, Men	120
Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.		121
'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.	Business, Death, Politics	122
To say that any people are not fit for freedom, is to make poverty their choice, and to say they had rather be loaded with taxes than not.	Freedom	123
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.	Happiness	124
We have it in our power to begin the world over again.	Inspirational, Power	125
Titles are but nicknames, and every nickname is a title.		126
It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes.	God	201
Any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be true.	Religion	202
He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death.	Death, War	203
Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law.	Religion	204
Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.	Society	205
He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny has a better title to Defender of the Faith, than George the Third.	Faith	206
War involves in its progress such a train of unforeseen circumstances that no human wisdom can calculate the end; it has but one thing certain, and that is to increase taxes.	War, Wisdom	207
The Vatican is a dagger in the heart of Italy.		208
The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.		209
It is the direction and not the magnitude which is to be taken into consideration.		210
When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.		211
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.		212
Time makes more converts than reason.	Time	213
The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.		214
But such is the irresistable nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants is the liberty of appearing.	Nature, Truth	215
Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst.	Religion	216
That God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests can not, or that the Bible does not.		217
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.	Power	218
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.		219
Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.		220
It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance.		221
We can only reason from what is; we can reason on actualities, but not on possibilities.		222
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.		223
My mind is my own church.		224
Human nature is not of itself vicious.		225
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.	Government	226
Every science has for its basis a system of principles as fixed and unalterable as those by which the universe is regulated and governed. Man cannot make principles; he can only discover them.	Science	301
These are the times that try men's souls.		302
It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.		303
The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.	Strength	304
Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad.	Religion	305
The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security.	Government	306
When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.		307
Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best stage, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.	Society	308
That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly.		309
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.		310
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.		311
One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.		312
Is it not a species of blasphemy to call the New Testament revealed religion, when we see in it such contradictions and absurdities.	Religion	313

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