"The abilities of man must fall short on one side or the other, like too scanty a blanket when you are abed. If you pull it upon your shoulders, your feet are left bare; if you thrust it down to your feet, your shoulders are uncovered"

This quote by Thomas Paine is a metaphor for the constraints of human capabilities. He is stating that no matter how hard we try, we will constantly be restricted in some method. Similar to a blanket that is too little to cover the whole body, our abilities will constantly fall short in some locations. We can attempt to concentrate on one area, but that will leave another location exposed and vulnerable. This quote is a reminder that we ought to not be too tough on ourselves when we are not able to do something, as it is merely a constraint of our capabilities. We ought to instead concentrate on the areas where we can excel and utilize our strengths to our benefit.