On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
How is it that the same persons who would proudly be thought wiser than their predecessors, appear at the same time only as the ghosts of departed wisdom?
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgHow is it that the same persons who would proudly be thought wiser than their predecessors, appear at the same time only as the ghosts of departed wisdom?
From "Rights of Man," this quote questions the inconsistency of those who claim wisdom yet cling to outdated ideas.
Share
More from Thomas Paine
The aristocracy has screened itself too much, and this serves to restore a part of the lost equilibrium.
To account for this sudden transition, it is proper to observe that there are two distinct species of popularity; the one excited by merit, and the other by resentment.
I know the value of moral instruction, and I have seen the danger of the contrary.