--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Panics, in some cases, have their uses…" description: "\"Panics, in some cases, have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is always short; the mind soon grows through them and acquire..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/thomas-paine-267_acquire_panics-in-some-cases-have-their-uses-the_2049224.png" --- # Panics, in some cases, have their uses; they produce as… ![“Panics, in some cases, have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is always short; the mind soon grows through them and acquires a firmer habit than before. But their peculiar advantage is, that they are the touchstone of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/thomas-paine-267_acquire_panics-in-some-cases-have-their-uses-the_2049224.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/thomas-paine-267_acquire_panics-in-some-cases-have-their-uses-the_2049224.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/thomas-paine-267_acquire_panics-in-some-cases-have-their-uses-the_2049224.png) > “Panics, in some cases, have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is always short; the mind soon grows through them and acquires a firmer habit than before. But their peculiar advantage is, that they are the touchstone of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to light, which might have lain forever undiscovered.” [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. Brief anxiety can sharpen awareness, revealing truth and prompting personal growth, despite its discomfort. **In simple terms:** Short panic can reveal truth and build strength. Key Takeaway Use brief panic as a catalyst for honesty. Themes self‑awareness truth‑seeking personal growth Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public speaking - conflict resolution - creative brainstorming - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - When has panic helped you see clearly? - How can you channel panic productively? A Different Perspective Panic can also cause irrational decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquire/) [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Duration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duration/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Panic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panic/) [Panics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panics-516583/) [Panics Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panics-cases-3852325/) [Peculiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peculiar/) [Peculiar Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peculiar-advantage-3852328/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Short Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-mind-3852327/) [Sincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity/) [Sincerity Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity-hypocrisy-3852326/) [Touchstones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touchstones/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [“Yet panics, in some cases, have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is always short; the mind soon grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/yet-panics-in-some-cases-have-their-uses-they-produce-as-much-good-as/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [If I panic, everyone else panics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobe-bryant/if-i-panic-everyone-else-panics/) [Kobe Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobe-bryant/) > [Don't you \*ever\* let go?" "I haven't yet." "Why?" "I suppose... because in this world, after everyone panics, there's always got to be someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/don-t-you-ever-let-go-i-haven-t-yet-why-i-suppose-because-in-this/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [\*home alone\* Me: \*sitting on couch watching TV\* \*doorbell rings\* Me: THEY'VE COME TO GET ME! Me: \*panics\* Me: \*hits the floor and procedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamzy/home-alone-me-sitting-on-couch-watching-tv-doorbell-rings-me-they-ve/) [Jamzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamzy/) > [“The second job of copaganda is to manufacture crises and panics about this narrow category of threats.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-karakatsanis/the-second-job-of-copaganda-is-to-manufacture-crises-and-panics-about/) [Alec Karakatsanis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-karakatsanis/) > [Never wear anything that panics the cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/never-wear-anything-that-panics-the-cat/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [At many points during our nation's history, there have been times - known in our history textbooks as 'panics' - when adverse conditions affecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-bonner/at-many-points-during-our-nation-s-history-there-have-been-times/) [Jo Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-bonner/) > [To the extent that bank panics interfere with normal flows of credit, they may affect the performance of the real economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/to-the-extent-that-bank-panics-interfere-with-normal-flows-of-credit/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [An hour show panics me a lot less than five minutes at the O2. How do you put yourself across and make sure people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisling-bea/an-hour-show-panics-me-a-lot-less-than-five-minutes-at-the-o2-how-do/) [Aisling Bea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisling-bea/) > [Nobody panics when things go “according to plan”. Even if the plan is horrifying!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heath-ledger/nobody-panics-when-things-go-according-to-plan-even-if-the-plan-is/) [Heath Ledger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heath-ledger/) > [I'm the sort of person who panics if my family is not looking right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reham-khan/i-m-the-sort-of-person-who-panics-if-my-family-is-not-looking-right/) [Reham Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reham-khan/) > [“Indeed, the idea that doubt can be heroic, if it is locked into a structure as grand as that of the paintings of Cezanne's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hughes/indeed-the-idea-that-doubt-can-be-heroic-if-it-is-locked-into-a/) [Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hughes/) > [I think that one of the things that we all agree to is that the touchstone for economic policy is, does it allow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-that-we-all-agree-to-is-that-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [In a secularising world, art has replaced religion as a touchstone of our reverence and devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/in-a-secularising-world-art-has-replaced-religion-as-a-touchstone-of/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Intelligent investment is more a matter of mental approach than it is of technique. A sound mental approach toward stock fluctuations is the touchstone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/intelligent-investment-is-more-a-matter-of-mental-approach-than-it-is/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. 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What is it the New Testament teaches us? - to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-raping-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/those-who-expect-to-reap-the-blessings-of-freedom-must-like-men/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“It has been the practice of all Christian commentators on the Bible, and of all Christian priests and preachers, to impose the Bible on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-has-been-the-practice-of-all-christian-commentators-on-the-bible/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Wisdom is not the purchase of a day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/wisdom-is-not-the-purchase-of-a-day/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. 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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 Acquire quotes > [Most people seek after what they do not possess and are enslaved by the very things they want to acquire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-sadat/most-people-seek-after-what-they-do-not-possess-and-are-enslaved-by/) [Anwar Sadat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-sadat/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Humility is an elusive virtue. 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No matter how smart you are, no matter how comprehensive your education, no matter how wide ranging your experience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-can-t-know-it-all-no-matter-how-smart-you-are-no-matter-how/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [A better distribution of incomes would increase that efficiency by diverting a great fund of wealth from the useless to the useful members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/a-better-distribution-of-incomes-would-increase-that-efficiency-by/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. 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