A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
Thomas PaineRead
An army of principles will penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Principles and values can achieve what physical force cannot.
This quote by Thomas Paine highlights the profound impact that strong principles and ideals can have in shaping society and overcoming obstacles. Unlike physical military might, which may fail to bring about true change or understanding, a steadfast commitment to principles can influence minds, inspire movements, and penetrate the hearts of individuals, promoting lasting change and resilience.
Themes
PrinciplesChangeInfluenceStrengthSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, one could mention this quote to emphasize the importance of moral principles over brute force.
More from Thomas Paine
All quotes βThat God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests can not, or that the Bible does not.
Thomas PaineRead
I consider the war of America against Britain as the country's war, the public's war, or the war of the people in their own behalf, for the security of their natural rights, and the protection of their own property.
Thomas PaineRead
Had the news of salvation by Jesus Christ been inscribed on the face of the sun and the moon, in characters that all nations would have understood, the whole earth had known it in twenty-four hours, and all nations would have believed it; whereas, though it is now almost two thousand years since, as they tell us, Christ came upon earth, not a twentieth part of the people of the earth know anything of it, and among those who do, the wiser part do not believe it.
Thomas PaineRead
The end of all political associations is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.
Thomas PaineRead
To reason with goverments, as they have existed for ages, is to argue with brutes. It is only from the nations themselves that reforms can be expected
Thomas PaineRead
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