On the recordJanuary 1, 1776
To spare now, would be the height of extravagance, and to consult present ease, would be to sacrifice it perhaps forever.
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgThomas Paine: “To spare now, would be the height of extravagance, and to consult present ease, would be to sacrifice it perhaps…”
Editor's note · Context
During the American Revolution, this passage warns against complacency and prioritizing immediate comfort over the enduring struggle for liberty.
Share
More from Thomas Paine
Jan 1, 1791
I have no idea, considering the reforms which are now passing and spreading throughout Europe, that England will permit herself to be the last; and where the occasion and the opportunity quietly offer, it is better than to wait for a…
Jan 1, 1791
As to what are called national religions, we may, with as much propriety, talk of national Gods.
Jan 1, 1791
Discussion and the general will arbitrates the question, and to this, private opinion yields with a good grace, and order is preserved uninterrupted.
Jan 1, 1791
Why may we not suppose, that the great Father of all is pleased with variety of devotion; and that the greatest offence we can act, is that by which we seek to torment and render each other miserable?