“I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“So confident am I in the intentions, as well as wisdom, of the government, that I shall always be satisfied that what is not done, either cannot, or ought not to be done.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“The most successful war seldom pays for its losses.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“It is our duty still to endeavor to avoid war but if it shall actually take place, no matter by whom brought on, we must defend ourselves. If our house be on fire, without inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“In truth, politeness is artificial good humor, it covers the natural want of it, and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“There is not a truth existing which I fear… or would wish unknown to the whole world.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor – over each other.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.”
– Thomas Jefferson