Quote

The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.

Thomas Paine

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Thomas Paine
Age: 72 †
Born: 1737
Born: January 29
Died: 1809
Died: June 8
Author
Entrepreneur
Journalist
Opinion Journalist
Philosopher
Politician
Prosaist
Writer
Thetford
Norfolk
Strength
Fear
Political
Despotism
Power
Wholly
Tyrants
Consists
Resistance
Motivation

More quotes by Thomas Paine

Image
Every Tory is a coward for servile, slavish, self-interested fear is the foundation of Toryism and a man under such influence, though he may be cruel, never can be brave.
Thomas Paine
Image
Public credit is suspicion asleep.
Thomas Paine
Image
Action and care will in time wear down the strongest frame, but guilt and melancholy are poisons of quick dispatch.
Thomas Paine
Image
I believe in one God, and no more and I hope for happiness beyond this life.
Thomas Paine
Image
He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny has a better title to Defender of the Faith, than George the Third.
Thomas Paine
Image
It is the fable of Jesus Christ, as told in the New Testament, and the wild and visionary doctrine raised thereon, against which I contend. The story, taking it as it is told, is blasphemously obscene.
Thomas Paine
Image
It is not the nature of avarice to be satisfied with anything but money. Every passion that acts upon mankind has a peculiar mode of operation. Many of them are temporary and fluctuating they admit of cessation and variety. But avarice is a fixed, uniform passion.
Thomas Paine
Image
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Thomas Paine
Image
But where, says some, is the King of America? I'll tell you. Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal Brute of Britain.
Thomas Paine
Image
It is unpleasant to see character throw itself away.
Thomas Paine
Image
Reason obeys itself and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
Thomas Paine
Image
The graceful pride of truth knows no extremes, and preserves, in every latitude of life, the right-angled character of man.
Thomas Paine
Image
Suspicion and persecution are weeds of the same dunghill, and flourish best together.
Thomas Paine
Image
When it becomes necessary to do a thing, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it.
Thomas Paine
Image
I die content, I die for the liberty of my country.
Thomas Paine
Image
He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death.
Thomas Paine
Image
The Bible: a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalise mankind.
Thomas Paine
Image
What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue.
Thomas Paine
Image
When my country, into which I had just set my foot, was set on fire about my ears, it was time to stir. It was time for every man to stir.
Thomas Paine
Image
Take away from Genesis the belief that Moses was the author, on which only the strange believe that it is the word of God has stood, and there remains nothing of Genesis but an anonymous book of stories, fables, and traditionary or invented absurdities, or of downright lies.
Thomas Paine