He is not affected by the reality of distress touching his heart, but by the showy resemblance of it striking his imagination.
Thomas Paine: “He is not affected by the reality of distress touching his heart, but by the showy resemblance of it striking his…”
Editor's note · Context
In his critique of Edmund Burke's response to the French Revolution, Paine observes the superficiality of those moved by spectacle rather than genuine suffering.
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But as religion is very improperly made a political machine, and the reality of it is thereby destroyed, I will conclude this work with stating in what light religion appears to me.
When men unite in agreeing that a thing is good, could it be obtained, such for instance as relief from a burden of taxes and the extinction of corruption, the object is more than half accomplished.
I have carefully avoided to enlarge upon the subject, because I am inclined to believe that what is called the present ministry, wish to see contentions about religion kept up, to prevent the nation turning its attention to subjects of…
If, therefore, the good to be obtained be worthy of a passive, rational, and costless revolution, it would be bad policy to prefer waiting for a calamity that should force a violent one.