What does it is dearness only that gives everything its value mean?
This quote is attributed to Thomas Paine. The full quote is as
follows:
That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is
dearness only that gives everything it's value. Heaven knows how to
price it's goods.
I'm going from memory, so please overlook the odd inaccuracy. To
answer your question, what it means is that things that you have to
struggle to get hold a higher value in your mind than things that
are gotten easily. As an example, if you have to fight to win a
woman's heart, you'll appreciate her more than if she was easy to
get. The part in the quote that may be throwing you off is the word
"dearness." What it means in this context (and in the era it was
written in) is "costliness" or "expensiveness." In the context, it
is clearly not limited to monetary cost.