A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
Thomas PaineRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that what truly matters is the cause one is fighting for, rather than the immediate victories in battle.
Thomas Paine's quote highlights the importance of commitment to a noble cause over the mere acquisition of land or territory. It suggests that the essence of struggle lies in the purpose behind it, asserting that whether one achieves victory swiftly or gradually, the overall impact of defending a just cause remains significant. This perspective inspires perseverance in one's efforts and underscores that true victory is rooted in defending values rather than seeking conquest.
Themes
CauseCourageVictoryStruggleDefense
In practice
Example use cases
During a rally to support a social justice movement, this quote can be utilized to emphasize the importance of defending the cause.
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.
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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