On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
The weaker any cord is, the less will it bear to be stretched, and the worse is the policy to stretch it, unless it is intended to break it.
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgThomas Paine: “The weaker any cord is, the less will it bear to be stretched, and the worse is the policy to stretch it, unless it is…”
Editor's note · Context
In "Rights of Man," Paine uses a metaphor to warn against pushing weak systems or principles to their breaking point.
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