Thomas Paine – The First American Blogger
His Words in Today's Context
“When I look into history and see the multitudes of men, otherwise virtuous, who have died, and their families been ruined, in the defense of knaves and fools, and which they would not have done, had they reasoned at all upon the system; I do not know a greater good that an individual can render …
Continue reading “On Speaking Truth to (and of) Power: When Good People Follow Bad Leaders”
“Mystery is the antagonist of truth. It is a fog of human invention, that obscures truth, and represents it in distortion. Truth never envelops itself in mystery, and the mystery in which it is at any time enveloped is the work of its antagonist, and never of itself.”-Thomas Paine The enemy of truth is often …
“There are men who have not virtue enough to be angry.”-Thomas Paine But that isn’t you – you’re mad as hell and you aren’t going to take it anymore. Tags: mad+as+hell, anger, thomas+paine+quotes+interpreted
“When moral principles, rather than persons, are candidates for power, to vote is to perform a moral duty, and not to vote is to neglect a duty.”-Thomas Paine When it is necessary for a nation to change its course, as it surely is now, it is not only a right but also our duty to vote for the …
“A little matter will move a party, but it must be something great that moves a nation”-Thomas Paine, Rights of Man Capturing the imagine of a nation, inspiring its citizens to unite and rise above petty grievance and intolerance, is what we need. Instead we get the primaries. Tags: thomas+paine+politica+party, thomas+paine+politics, thomas+paine+primaries, 2008+presidential+campaign, thomas+paine+quotes+interpreted
“It is folly to argue against determined hardness; eloquence may strike the ear, and the language of sorrow draw forth the tear of compassion, but nothing can reach the heart that is steeled with prejudice.”-Thomas Paine Prejudiced thinking drives away the burden of logic, making rational argument both unnecessary and a waste of time. It is best, …
“Loving of enemies is another dogma of feigned morality, and has besides no meaning. It is incumbent on man, as a moralist, that he does not revenge an injury; and it is equally as good in a political sense, for there is no end to retaliation, each retaliates on the other, and calls it justice; …
Continue reading “On Loving Your Enemy, Forgiveness, and Common Sense”
“To see it in our power to make a world happy – to teach mankind the art of being – to exhibit on the theater of the universe, a character hitherto unknown – and to have, as it were, a new creation entrusted to our hands, are honors that command reflection, and can neither be …
Continue reading “On Change, Creating a Better World, and Gratitude”
“Among ridiculous things nothing is more ridiculous than ridiculous rage.”-Thomas Paine There are those that don’t know which battles to choose in life, those that do, and those that charge into an invented battle with indignation and rage, obscuring, to the casual observer, the twisted deficiency of the invention. For whatever reason it is done, …
“To draw foolish portraits of each other, is a mode of attack and reprisal, which the greater part of mankind are fond of indulging.”-Thomas Paine Every election cycle, early on, civility is promised. Then, as events heat up in the mad race to election day, civility turns to accusation and acrimony. Cries of “foul!” ensue, …