A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
Thomas PaineRead
For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever, and tho' himself might deserve some decent degree of honours of his cotemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
All people are born equal, and no one has the inherent right to elevate their family above others indefinitely.
In this quote, Thomas Paine argues against the notion of hereditary privilege, suggesting that just because someone may have earned respect or honor in their lifetime does not mean that their descendants should automatically inherit that status. He emphasizes the importance of equality among all individuals and warns against the dangers of family lineage dictating social status or privilege.
Themes
EqualityPrivilegeInheritanceHonorSocial Status
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social justice, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of equality.
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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