Tag Archives: First Principles

First Principles: Do You Not Know That In A Race All the Runners Run, But Only One Gets the Prize? Run In Such A Way As To Get the Prize

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it … Continue reading

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First Principles: It Has Been A Source of Great Pain To Me To Have Met With So Many Among My Opponents Who Had Not the Liberality To Distinguish Between Political and Social Opposition

“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred … Continue reading

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First Principles: To Listen Well Is As Powerful A Means of Communication and Influence As To Talk Well

“To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.” ­– John Marshall

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First Principles: The Natural Cure For An Ill-Administration, In A Popular or Representative Constitution, Is A Change of Men

“The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men.” – Alexander Hamilton (1787)

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First Principles: The Principle of Spending Money To Be Paid By Posterity, Under the Name of Funding, Is But Swindling Futurity On A Large Scale

“The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.” – Thomas Jefferson (1816)

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First Principles: They Define A Republic To Be A Government of Laws, and Not of Men

“They define a republic to be a government of laws, and not of men.” – John Adams (1775)

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First Principles: Naked I Came From My Mother’s Womb and Naked I will Depart. The Lord Gave and the Lord Has Taken Away; May the Name of the Lord Be Praised

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,    and naked I will depart.[a]The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;    may the name of the Lord be praised.” – Job 1:21

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First Principles: Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

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First Principles: Here Comes the Orator! With His Flood of Words, and His Drop of Reason

“Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason.” – Benjamin Franklin (1735) Did anyone else find that State of the Union Address less than unifying?

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First Principles: The Mild Voice of Reason, Pleading the Cause of An Enlarged and Permanent Interest, Is But Too Often Drowned

“The mild voice of reason, pleading the cause of an enlarged and permanent interest, is but too often drowned, before public bodies as well as individuals, by the clamors of an impatient avidity for immediate and immoderate gain.” – James … Continue reading

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