A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
Thomas PaineRead
Those who knew Benjamin Franklin will recollect that his mind was forever young, his temper ever serene; science, that never grows gray, was always his mistress. He was never without an object, for when we cease to have an object, we become like an invalid in a hospital waiting for death.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the importance of maintaining a youthful spirit and purpose in life, as exemplified by Benjamin Franklin's lifelong passion for science.
Thomas Paine reflects on Benjamin Franklin's enduring curiosity and serene demeanor, suggesting that a vibrant mind and a clear objective are essential for a fulfilling life. He emphasizes that without a purpose, one risks stagnation and despair, akin to an invalid waiting for death. The quote serves as a reminder that a continuous pursuit of knowledge and interests keeps us engaged and youthful.
Themes
YouthPurposeScienceCuriosityLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire students at a graduation ceremony to pursue their passions.
More from Thomas Paine
All quotes →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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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