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Many a truth is told in jest.

Jonathan Swift

Small causes are sufficient to make a man uneasy, when great ones are not in the way: for want of a block he will stumble at a straw.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Block Easy Greatness Himself Man Walk
There are few, very few, that will own themselves in a mistake.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Mistake Person Responsibility
It is a miserable thing to live in suspense; it is the life of the spider.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Insect Life Live Misery
Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Break Insect Law Small
That the universe was formed by a fortuitous concourse of atoms, I will no more believe than that the accidental jumbling of the alphabet would fall into a most ingenious treatise of philosophy.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Accident Believe Fall Philosophy Universe
I’m as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Age Myself Old
I never knew a man come to greatness or eminence who lay abed late in the morning.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Greatness Man Morning Success Worth
Power is no blessing in itself, except when it is used to protect the innocent.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Blessing Exception Innocence Power Protection
It often happens that, if a lie be believed only for an hour, it has done its work, and there is no further occasion for it.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Believe Occasion Time Work
This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Compare Equality Man Myself Reflection
It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Himself Man Reason
For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Government Meaning Politics Reason Slavery
How is it possible to expect that mankind will take advice when they will not so much as take warning.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Advice Expectation Kind Man Possible Warning
I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Man Myself See Shame Wickedness Wonder
Every man desires to live long, but no man wishes to be old.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Desire Live Man Old Philosophy
It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end.
JONATHAN SWIFT

Break End Person Time

Many a truth is told in jest.

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Many a truth is told in jest.

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