1. "Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence."
We need people but should keep careful discretion on the type of company we keep. True, everybody has faults-- but are your friends making you do things that you know are bad or unhealthy?
2. "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."
Freedom of speech is a powerful and dangerous tool. We should use it with great care, but also keep in mind that without it we would be much worse off. Freedom of speech can shape and change society and is the cornerstone of democracy.
3. "Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
This seemed very timely. Many times political people will accuse their opponents of not being patriotic enough or doing awful things around the world in the name of the homeland. Patriotism (like freedom of speech) is a dangerous tool and we should not just trust every single person who waves the flag of your homeland.
4. "There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage, than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness."
As I mentioned in the universal knowledge article, the pursuit of knowledge will heal many of the world's wounds and unite us all in a cause for the betterment of the world.
5. "It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it."
Exactly!!!! Every single liberty may be "abused" but it would be a foolish decision to censor it. Liberty is also a precious gift and the foundation of what makes us human. Without liberty, what do we have? Nothing. As cliche as it is, it is true, liberty is the best thing to fight for.
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