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Make Things rather than Persons the subjects of conversations.

John Adams

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John Adams
Age: 90 †
Born: 1735
Born: October 19
Died: 1826
Died: July 4
2Nd U.S. President
Diplomat
Lawyer
Political Philosopher
Politician
Statesperson
Braintree
Massachusetts
President Adams
J. Adams
President John Adams
Things
Conversations
Conversation
Subjects
Rather
Persons
Make

More quotes by John Adams

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Power in any Form . . . when directed only by human Wisdom and Benevolence is dangerous.
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All great changes are irksome to the human mind, especially those which are attended with great dangers and uncertain effects.
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The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity.
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[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.
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Vanity, I am sensible, is my cardinal vice and cardinal folly and I am in continual danger, when in company, of being led an ignis fatuus chase by it.
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I would quarrel with both parties, and with every individual of each, before I would subjugate my understanding, or prostitute my tongue or pen to either.
John Adams
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Had I been chosen President again, I am certain I could not have lived another year.
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Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.
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If the multitude is possessed of the balance of real estate, the multitude will have the balance of power, and in that case the multitude will take care of the liberty, virtue, and interest of the multitude in all acts of government.
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It is much easier to pull down a government, in such a conjuncture of affairs as we have seen, than to build up, at such a season as the present.
John Adams
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I shall have the liberty to think for myself.
John Adams
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Negro slavery is an evil of colossal magnitude.
John Adams
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Modesty is a virtue that can never thrive in public.
John Adams
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Resistance to sudden violence, for the preservation not only of my person, my limbs, and life, but of my property, is an indisputable right of nature which I have never surrendered to the public by the compact of society, and which perhaps, I could not surrender if I would.
John Adams
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Ambition is the subtlest beast of the intellectual and moral field. It is wonderfully adroit in concealing itself from its owner.
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There are persons whom in my heart I despise, others I abhor. Yet I am not obliged to inform the one of my contempt, nor the other of my detestation. This kind of dissimulation...is a necessary branch of wisdom, and so far from being immoral...that it is a duty and a virtue.
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[I] never understood [what a republican government was and] I believe no other man ever did or ever will.
John Adams
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This is a revolution, damn it! We're going to have to offend somebody!
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The only thing most people do better than anyone else is read their own handwriting.
John Adams
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God is an essence that we know nothing of. Until this awful blasphemy is got rid of, there never will be any liberal science in the world.
John Adams