--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For all men being originally equals, no…" description: "\"For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever, and t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/thomas-paine-267_birth_for-all-men-being-originally-equals-no-o_2014197.jpg" --- # For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could… ![“For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever, and tho' himself might deserve some decent degree of honours of his cotemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them.” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/thomas-paine-267_birth_for-all-men-being-originally-equals-no-o_2014197.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/thomas-paine-267_birth_for-all-men-being-originally-equals-no-o_2014197.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/thomas-paine-267_birth_for-all-men-being-originally-equals-no-o_2014197.jpg) > “For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever, and tho' himself might deserve some decent degree of honours of his cotemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them.” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Equality at birth does not guarantee that descendants will merit the same honors; hereditary privilege can perpetuate unearned advantages. **In simple terms:** Birth equality vs. inherited privilege. Key Takeaway Question inherited rights and merit. Themes equality inheritance meritocracy social justice Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - family law reform - education access - wealth redistribution - political candidacy Key Concepts philosophy political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - Should societies limit hereditary titles? - How to balance fairness with tradition? A Different Perspective Merit may be hard to assess across generations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Preference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preference/) ## Related quotes > [It appears first, that liberty is a natural, and government an adventitious right, because all men were originally free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-clarkson/it-appears-first-that-liberty-is-a-natural-and-government-an/) [Thomas Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-clarkson/) > [You inherit real estate when you stay in line, can you even imagine living in my state of mind?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/you-inherit-real-estate-when-you-stay-in-line-can-you-even-imagine/) [Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/) > [“I stand to inherit a lot from my father, including high cholesterol and diabetes. Oh, and maybe a few Beatles records. Actually, the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-stand-to-inherit-a-lot-from-my-father-including-high-cholesterol/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“You gotta look backwards to go forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fennel-hudson/you-gotta-look-backwards-to-go-forwards/) [Fennel Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fennel-hudson/) > [We inherit nothing truly, but what our actions make us worthy of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-chapman/we-inherit-nothing-truly-but-what-our-actions-make-us-worthy-of/) [George Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-chapman/) > [“You've just inherited rudeness. We've had to work at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/you-ve-just-inherited-rudeness-we-ve-had-to-work-at-it/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [“The Geek shall inherit the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/the-geek-shall-inherit-the-world/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [When you dont inherit an identity you have to define it on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-webb/when-you-dont-inherit-an-identity-you-have-to-define-it-on-your-own/) [Marc Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-webb/) > [We are going to inherit the earth; there is not the slightest doubt about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buenaventura-durruti/we-are-going-to-inherit-the-earth-there-is-not-the-slightest-doubt/) [Buenaventura Durruti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buenaventura-durruti/) > [I did not inherit a single dime from my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/i-did-not-inherit-a-single-dime-from-my-father/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [You don't inherit cancer; you actually get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-soon-shiong/you-don-t-inherit-cancer-you-actually-get-it/) [Patrick Soon-Shiong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-soon-shiong/) > [It is good to preserve the name, wealth, and honors you inherit, but it is better in every way if you yourself create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-baldorioty-de-castro/it-is-good-to-preserve-the-name-wealth-and-honors-you-inherit-but-it/) Roman Baldorioty de Castro > [The geeks shall inherit the earth - I've always said that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-morgan/the-geeks-shall-inherit-the-earth-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Cindy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-morgan/) > [I am a child of God, and therefore I do not inherit sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-fillmore/i-am-a-child-of-god-and-therefore-i-do-not-inherit-sickness/) [Myrtle Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-fillmore/) > [“What a mess the world was in, Vimes reflected. 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Let him believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-more-does-man-want-to-know-than-that-the-hand-or-power-that-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) [Explore all 772 Thomas Paine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## More Birth quotes > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. 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