Thomas Paine Quotes

It appears to general observation, that revolutions create genius and talents; but those events do no more than bring them forward. There is existing in man, a mass of sense lying in a dormant state, and which, unless something excites it to action, will descend with him, in that condition, to the grave. As it is to the advantage of society that the whole of its faculties should be employed, the construction of government ought to be such as to bring forward, by a quiet and regular operation, all that extent of capacity which never fails to appear in revolutions.

There exists in man a mass of sense lying in a dormant state, and which, unless something excites it to action, will descend with him, in that condition,to the grave.

Inside every human being there are treasures to unlock.

We need to invest in technologies that amplify human capacity, not replace it.

Every child has the capacity to be everything.

All human beings are born with unique gifts. The healthy functioning community depends on realizing the capacity to develop each gift.

MAN’S ONLY LIMITATION, within reason, LIES IN HIS DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF HIS IMAGINATION.

I believe our only hope for the future is to adopt a new conception of human ecology, one in which we start to reconstitute our concept of the richness in human capacity.

People are the common denominator of progress; no improvement is possible with unimproved people.

The historic role of the Conservative Party is to use the leverage of its political and diplomatic skills to create a fresh balance between the different elements within the state at those times when, for one reason or another, their imbalance threatens to disrupt the orderly development of society

No one knows what capacities for doing and suffering he has in himself, until something comes to rouse them to activity: just as in a pond of still water, lying there like a mirror, there is no sign of the roar and thunder with which it can leap from the precipice, and yet remain what it is; or again, rise high in the air as a fountain. When water is as cold as ice, you can have no idea of the latent warmth contained in it.

Every human being has talents that are just waiting to be uncovered.

The human spirit is itself the most wonderful fairy tale that can possibly be. What a magnificent world lies enclosed within our bosoms! No solar orbit hems it in, the inexhaustible wealth of the total visible creation is outweighed by its riches!

The power of the Plus Factor is potential but it is not self-activating. It is latent in human beings and will remain latent until it is activated.

The crucial fact to realize about all the powerful machinery of the Corporate State - its laws, structure, political system - is that it possesses no mind.

Life's splendor forever lies in wait about each one of us in all its fullness, but veiled from view, deep down, invisible, far off. It is there, though, not hostile, not reluctant, not deaf. If you summon it by the right word, by its right name, it will come.

I know that man is capable of great deeds. But if he isn't capable of great emotion, well, he leaves me cold.

I believe in the power of every human being to end suffering.

Man is capable of changing the world for the better if possible, and of changing himself for the better if necessary.

The means employed by Nature to bring about the development of all the capacities of men is their antagonism in society, so far as this is, in the end, the cause of a lawful order among men.

Nature has not implanted any power in man that was not meant to be exercised at times, though too often our powers have been abused.

I believe each human being has the potential to change, to transform one’s own attitude, no matter how difficult the situation.

Know, man hath all which Nature hath, but more, And in that more lie all his hopes of good.

The greatest ability in the whole human race and all amongst the livingness, is the ability to help. And when you can improve that ability all the way up along the line, you've improved about all there is to improve about a person.

Ultimately we've only got humanity to work with. It's only clay we've got.