Top 94 Quotes & Sayings by Thomas More

There are several sorts of religions, not only in different parts of the island, but even in every town; some worshipping the sun, others the moon or one of the planets.

See me safe up: for in my coming down, I can shift for myself.

Those among them that have not received our religion do not fright any from it, and use none ill that goes over to it, so that all the while I was there one man was only punished on this occasion.

An absolutely new idea is one of the rarest things known to man.

And, indeed, though they differ concerning other things, yet all agree in this: that they think there is one Supreme Being that made and governs the world, whom they call, in the language of their country, Mithras.

A little wanton money, which burned out the bottom of his purse.

For when they see the people swarm into the streets, and daily wet to the skin with rain, and yet cannot persuade them to go out of the rain, they do keep themselves within their houses, seeing they cannot remedy the folly of the people.

They wonder much to hear that gold, which in itself is so useless a thing, should be everywhere so much esteemed, that even men for whom it was made, and by whom it has its value, should yet be thought of less value than it is.

And it will fall out as in a complication of diseases, that by applying a remedy to one sore, you will provoke another; and that which removes the one ill symptom produces others.

I die the king's faithful servant, but God's first.

Whoever loveth me, loveth my hound.

If honor were profitable, everybody would be honorable.

I would uphold the law if for no other reason but to protect myself.

The channel is known only to the natives; so that if any stranger should enter into the bay without one of their pilots he would run great danger of shipwreck.

Pride thinks it's own happiness shines the brighter by comparing it with the misfortunes of others.

Every tribulation which ever comes our way either is sent to be medicinal, if we will take it as such, or may become medicinal, if we will make it such, or is better than medicinal, unless we forsake it.

Because the soul has such deep roots in personal and social life and its values run so contrary to modern concerns, caring for the soul may well turn out to be a radical act, a challenge to accepted norms.

I should only ever tell the king what he ought to do, not what he could do. For if the lion knows his own strength, no man could control him.

Sex and religion are closer to each other than either might prefer.

If we lived in a state where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us saintly. But since we see that avarice, anger, pride and stupidity commonly profit far beyond charity, modesty, justice and thought, perhaps we must stand fast a little, even at the risk of being heroes.

The increasing influence of the Bible is marvelously great, penetrating everywhere. It carries with it a tremendous power of freedom and justice guided by a combined force of wisdom and goodness.

Take something from yourself, to give to another, that is humane and gentle and never takes away as much comfort as it brings again.

No living creature is naturally greedy, except from fear of want - or in the case of human beings, from vanity, the notion that you're better than people if you can display more superfluous property than they can.

What is deferred is not avoided.

Food is an implement of magic, and only the most coldhearted rationalist could squeeze the juices of life out of it and make it bland. In a true sense, a cookbook is the best source of psychological advice and the kitchen the first choice of room for a therapy of the world.

It's wrong to deprive someone else of a pleasure so that you can enjoy one yourself, but to deprive yourself of a pleasure so that you can add to someone else's enjoyment is an act of humanity by which you always gain more than you lose.

If the lion knew his own strength, hard were it for any man to rule him.

It's a poor doctor who can't cure one disease without giving you another.

It is a wise mans part, rather to avoid sickness, than to wish for medicines.

What part soever you take upon you, play that as well as you can and make the best of it.

In Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full, no private man can want anything; for among them there is no unequal distribution, so that no man is poor, none in necessity; and though no man has anything, yet they are all rich; for what can make a man so rich as to lead a serene and cheerful life, free from anxieties.

The heart that has truly loved never forgets.

We cannot go to heaven in featherbeds.

Two evils, greed and faction are the destruction of all justice.

The things we pray for, good Lord, give us grace to labor for.

For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.

Occupy your mind with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones.

Most people know nothing about learning; many despise it. Dummies reject as too hard whatever is not dumb.

Everywhere do I percieve a certain conspiracy of rich men seeking their own advantage underthat name and pretext of commonwealth.

Your love has build me from strength to strength. It has made me a stronger and better person than I was. There is nothing that love cannot change darling. Once you fall in love, even wars turn to love stories.

Kindness and good nature unite men more effectually and with greater strength than any agreements whatsoever, since thereby the engagements of men's hearts become stronger than the bond and obligation of words.

Pride measures prosperity not by her own advantages but by the disadvantages of others. She would not even wish to be a goddess unless there were some wretches left whom she could order about and lord it over, whose misery would make her happiness seem all the more extraordinary, whose poverty can be tormented and exacerbated by a display of her wealth. This infernal serpent, pervading the human heart, keeps men from reforming their lives, holding them back like a suckfish.

The folly of men has enhanced the value of gold and silver because of their scarcity; whereas, on the contrary, it is their opinion that Nature, as an indulgent parent, has freely given us all the best things in great abundance, such as water and earth, but has laid up and hid from us the things that are vain and useless.

The times are never so bad but that a good man can make shift to live in them.

A pretty face may be enough to catch a man, but it takes character and good nature to hold him.

Anyone who campaigns for public office becomes disqualified for holding any office at all.

Laws could be passed to keep the leader of a government from getting too much power.

By reason of gifts and bribes the offices be given to rich men, which should rather have been executed by wise men.

You wouldn't abandon ship in a storm just because you couldn't control the winds.

Lord, give me a sense of humor so that I may take some happiness from this life and share it with others.

Nobody owns anything but everyone is rich - for what greater wealth can there be than cheerfulness, peace of mind, and freedom from anxiety?

It is part of the business of life to be affable and pleasing to those whom either nature, chance or circumstance has made our companions.

One man to live in pleasure and wealth, whiles all other weap and smart for it, that is the part not of a king, but of a jailor.

Getting married is like putting one's hand in a bag containing 99 serpents and one eel.

A man taking basil from a woman will love her always.

Nobody sees a flower really,it is so small. We haven't time,and to see takes time- like to have a friend takes time. One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled, but few are educated.

By confronting us with irreducible mysteries that stretch our daily vision to include infinity, nature opens an inviting and guiding path toward a spiritual life.

One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated.

Friendship demands attention.

It is possible to live for the next life and still be merry in this.