Thomas Jefferson (1901), by Rembrandt Peele
Thomas Jefferson was an American politician born in Virginia in 1743. At the age of 33 he drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which barely suffered any changes. In 1801 he was elected the third president of the United States; during his period as president he oversaw the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 which doubled the U.S. territory and later added 15 states. He was the founder of the University of Virginia, an architect and a book lover. Died in 1826, he is considered a wise man and one of the founders of the country that is the United States of America.
Here are some of his best pearls of wisdom to share:
1-“Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today”.
2-“Never trouble another for what you can do yourself”.
3-“Never spend your money before you have it”.
4-“Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you”.
5- "I cannot live without books".
6-“We never repent of having eaten too little”.
7- “Not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise, and the weather shall be little regarded. If the body is feeble, the mind will not be strong”.
8- “Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every Free State”.
9-“When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, a hundred”.
10-“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far”.
11-“It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness”.
A Man Writing at his Desk (1784), by Jan Ekels
12-“A room without books is like a life without meaning”.
13-“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
Declaration of Independence (1819), by John Trumbull.
14-“The care of everyman’s soul belong to himself”.
Square Thomas Jefferson, Paris 16e.
15-“The Republic will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not”.
16-“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend”.
17-“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock”.
18-“The press is impotent when it abandons itself to falsehood”.
19- “He who knows best knows how little he knows”.
20-“The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty”.
There you have it, I hope you have like it. Continue your learning by reading about him from every source you can find; don’t just settle by what you find online, visit libraries and bookstores and become a book lover just like Thomas Jefferson was.
Until next time,
Take care.
The reading man.