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Thomas Jefferson

53 quotes

Selected quotes · 53
01
I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
Thomas JeffersonTime
02
But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.
Thomas JeffersonCreativity
03
Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.
Thomas JeffersonFriendship
04
A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.
Thomas JeffersonAction
05
Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none.
Thomas JeffersonFriendship
06
Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.
Thomas JeffersonFreedom
07
There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
08
It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness.
Thomas JeffersonHappiness
09
If we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy.
Thomas JeffersonGrowth
10
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 JeffersonAction
11
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 JeffersonFreedom
12
Never spend your money before you have earned it.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
13
Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.
Thomas JeffersonAction
14
Power is not alluring to pure minds.
Thomas JeffersonMindset
15
I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.
Thomas JeffersonFriendship
16
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Thomas JeffersonSelf-belief
17
Never spend money before you have it.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
18
I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.
Thomas JeffersonFriendship
19
One man with courage is a majority.
Thomas JeffersonCourage
20
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 JeffersonPatience
21
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 JeffersonCourage
22
I cannot live without books.
Thomas JeffersonLife
23
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Thomas JeffersonCreativity
24
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas JeffersonFreedom
25
The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind.
Thomas JeffersonFriendship
26
Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
27
Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.
Thomas JeffersonTime
28
I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master.
Thomas JeffersonCourage
29
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas JeffersonFailure
30
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.
Thomas JeffersonFailure
31
The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.
Thomas JeffersonFaith
32
The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.
Thomas JeffersonHappiness
33
A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference.
Thomas JeffersonJustice
34
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.
Thomas JeffersonMindset
35
Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning.
Thomas JeffersonFreedom
36
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
37
When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
38
I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
39
The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.
Thomas JeffersonFreedom
40
The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.
Thomas JeffersonFaith
41
I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.
Thomas JeffersonAction
42
Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society.
Thomas JeffersonJustice
43
Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
Thomas JeffersonAction
44
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
45
Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival.
Thomas JeffersonTime
46
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.
Thomas JeffersonCourage
47
There is not a truth existing which I fear... or would wish unknown to the whole world.
Thomas JeffersonCourage
48
The most successful war seldom pays for its losses.
Thomas JeffersonFailure
49
I have no ambition to govern men; it is a painful and thankless office.
Thomas JeffersonSuccess
50
Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.
Thomas JeffersonHappiness
51
One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom
52
It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.
Thomas JeffersonFailure
53
Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories.
Thomas JeffersonWisdom