--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: in every state is a blessing, but…" description: "\"“in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/thomas-paine-267_government_in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-governm_527846.png" --- # in every state is a blessing, but government even in its… ![“in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/thomas-paine-267_government_in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-governm_527846.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/thomas-paine-267_government_in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-governm_527846.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/thomas-paine-267_government_in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-governm_527846.png) > ““in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built on the ruins of the bowers of paradise.”” [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. Government is a necessary but imperfect institution; it can protect or oppress, depending on its nature and execution. **In simple terms:** Government is needed but flawed. Key Takeaway Guard against governmental abuse. Themes politics government philosophy Mood cautious reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - citizen voting - policy reform - civil protest - public debate Key Concepts social contract authority legitimacy Questions to Reflect On - When does government become a threat? - How can citizens ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Power can corrupt, making even good intentions harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blessing Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing-government-2867422/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Calamity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-calamity-4368134/) [Government Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-like/) [Miseries Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miseries-government-4368135/) [Necessary evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-evil/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Suffer Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-government-962748/) ## Related quotes > [Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/society-in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-government-even-in-its-best-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best stage, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/society-in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-government-even-in-its-best/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Society in every state is a blessing, but Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil. . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/society-in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-government-even-in-its-best-3/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [As a former teacher, it pains me to watch such an essential and rewarding profession suffer due to government neglect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/as-a-former-teacher-it-pains-me-to-watch-such-an-essential-and/) [Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/) > [If the Olympics fail, human rights will suffer. The government would stop paying any attention to the rest of the world. I personally think:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-suffer-the-government-would/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [“For "as great a blessing as government is," the Rev. Peter Whitney explained, "like other blessings, it may become a scourge, a curse, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-bailyn/for-as-great-a-blessing-as-government-is-the-rev-peter-whitney/) [Bernard Bailyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-bailyn/) > [Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/government-like-dress-is-the-badge-of-lost-innocence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/government-even-in-its-best-state-is-but-a-necessary-evil-in-its/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Government is a necessary evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/government-is-a-necessary-evil/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/some-writers-have-so-confounded-society-with-government-as-to-leave-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Government! Government! What do I get for all I give, I'd like to know! Potholes and bombs!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-dawkins/government-government-what-do-i-get-for-all-i-give-i-d-like-to-know/) [Cecil Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-dawkins/) > [Some people say that watching pay freezes in the government is like watching water freeze. It expands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-issa/some-people-say-that-watching-pay-freezes-in-the-government-is-like/) [Darrell Issa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-issa/) > [“When a country goes to war, men can no longer operate free and open laboratories. The Government would like to know what you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-hunt/when-a-country-goes-to-war-men-can-no-longer-operate-free-and-open/) [Samantha Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-hunt/) > [In a government like ours, the Crown is the abiding and unshakable element in government; politicians may come and go, but the Crown remains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/in-a-government-like-ours-the-crown-is-the-abiding-and-unshakable/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Government is like a vast ocean and politics is the six-inch layer on top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/government-is-like-a-vast-ocean-and-politics-is-the-six-inch-layer-on/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The book called the Bible has been voted by men, and decreed by human laws to be the word of God; and the disbelief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-book-called-the-bible-has-been-voted-by-men-and-decreed-by-human/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. 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