Quotes By Thomas Jefferson

I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.

The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.

Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.

Friendship is but another name for an alliance with the follies and the misfortunes of others. Our own share of miseries is sufficient: why enter then as volunteers into those of another?

To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.

We did not raise armies for glory or for conquest.

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.

Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.

If God is just, I tremble for my country.

I have no ambition to govern men; it is a painful and thankless office.

He who knows best knows how little he knows.

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.

One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them.

Never spend your money before you have earned it.

Errors of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.

The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind.

There is not a truth existing which I fear... or would wish unknown to the whole world.

I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master.

Resort is had to ridicule only when reason is against us.

One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.

I cannot live without books.

I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.

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 blind-folded fear.

Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.

To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education.

The natural cause of the human mind is certainly from credulity to skepticism.

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.

There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me.

Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society.