--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Jefferson style – cultivate his…" description: "\"“The Jefferson style – cultivate his elders, make himself pleasant to his contemporaries, and used his pen and his intellect to shape the debate – arm ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/jon-meacham-2863_jefferson_the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders_2193396.png" --- # The Jefferson style – cultivate his elders, make himself… ![“The Jefferson style – cultivate his elders, make himself pleasant to his contemporaries, and used his pen and his intellect to shape the debate – arm him well for the national arena.” quote by Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/jon-meacham-2863_jefferson_the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders_2193396.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/jon-meacham-2863_jefferson_the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders_2193396.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/jon-meacham-2863_jefferson_the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders_2193396.png) > ““The Jefferson style – cultivate his elders, make himself pleasant to his contemporaries, and used his pen and his intellect to shape the debate – arm him well for the national arena.”” [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jefferson balanced respect for elders, charm with peers, and intellectual influence to succeed politically. **In simple terms:** Respect, charm, and intellect help navigate public life. Key Takeaway Cultivate wisdom, likability, and ideas. Themes leadership politics communication Mood reflective inspirational Type historical motivational When to use this quote - political campaigns - public debates - networking events - career advancement Key Concepts statesmanship rhetoric influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance humility with ambition? - What role does intellectual honesty play in public discourse? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on charm can mask lack of substance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cultivate Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultivate-elders-4787145/) [Elders Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elders-make-4787147/) [Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson/) [Jefferson Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-style-4787144/) [Pen Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pen-intellect-4787146/) [Persuasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuasion/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) ## Related quotes > [“Jefferson was ambivalent about executive power – until he bore executive responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/jefferson-was-ambivalent-about-executive-power-until-he-bore/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“Jefferson was among the greatest men who had ever lived, a Renaissance figure who was formidable without seeming overbearing, sparkling without being showy, winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/jefferson-was-among-the-greatest-men-who-had-ever-lived-a-renaissance/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“The political nature of man made it highly unlikely that a society designed to meet regularly would remain peaceable. "The way to make friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-political-nature-of-man-made-it-highly-unlikely-that-a-society/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Jefferson was the rare leader who stood out from the crowd without intimidating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/jefferson-was-the-rare-leader-who-stood-out-from-the-crowd-without/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“Classing Jefferson with George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, both of whom were also reluctant to speak at length in public, Adams said, “A public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/classing-jefferson-with-george-washington-and-benjamin-franklin-both/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“Jefferson’s decision to acquire Louisiana without seeking a constitutional amendment expanded the powers of the executive in ways that would likely have driven Jefferson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/jefferson-s-decision-to-acquire-louisiana-without-seeking-a/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“Jefferson was relentless in pursuing and putting down threats to his vision of a republican nation. Whether they were Federalist judges and other officeholders—including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/jefferson-was-relentless-in-pursuing-and-putting-down-threats-to-his/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“They all live in cities, together, and can act in a body readily and at all times; they give chief employment to the newspapers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/they-all-live-in-cities-together-and-can-act-in-a-body-readily-and-at/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“America has always been torn between the ideal and the real, between noble goals and inevitable compromises. So was Jefferson. In his head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/america-has-always-been-torn-between-the-ideal-and-the-real-between/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“As much as Jefferson loved France residence abroad gave him greater appreciation for his own nation. He was a tireless advocate for things American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-much-as-jefferson-loved-france-residence-abroad-gave-him-greater/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [In seeking an empire of liberty, Jefferson wished not only to expand the country's territorial holdings, but also to extend American institutions around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/in-seeking-an-empire-of-liberty-jefferson-wished-not-only-to-expand/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/probably-the-greatest-concentration-of-talent-and-genius-in-this/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Thomas Jefferson was a real poet. He was slick with that 'pursuit' of happiness because the 'pursuit' puts it back on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/thomas-jefferson-was-a-real-poet-he-was-slick-with-that-pursuit-of/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Jon Meacham > [Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/scripture-is-not-inerrant-believers-are-called-to-interpret-biblical/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [As a southerner born after the epic events of the civil rights movement, I've always wondered how on earth people of good will could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-a-southerner-born-after-the-epic-events-of-the-civil-rights/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [We are now living in a post-Roosevelt, post-Reagan universe. What comes next will not be post-partisan, because faction is an intrinsic human impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/we-are-now-living-in-a-post-roosevelt-post-reagan-universe-what-comes/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“his other hand. Sensitive to his guest’s affliction, Churchill realized that “every step” was”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/his-other-hand-sensitive-to-his-guest-s-affliction-churchill-realized/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Too many activists have convinced themselves that they have a monopoly on truth. A little humility and a sense of history could move us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/too-many-activists-have-convinced-themselves-that-they-have-a/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [In the fullness of time, I suspect that bigotry against homosexuals will seem as repugnant as racial prejudice does today. Or so one hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/in-the-fullness-of-time-i-suspect-that-bigotry-against-homosexuals/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Mysteries and thrillers are not the same things, though they are literary siblings. Roughly put, I would say the distinction is that mysteries emphasize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/mysteries-and-thrillers-are-not-the-same-things-though-they-are/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a scoffer at religion,” wrote the historian William…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-of-representatives-from/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“The Man who has not Music in his Soul, Or is not touch’d with Concord of sweet Sounds, Is fit for Treason, Stratagems, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-man-who-has-not-music-in-his-soul-or-is-not-touch-d-with-concord/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [I am an Episcopalian who takes the faith of my fathers seriously, and I would, I think, be disheartened if my own young children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/i-am-an-episcopalian-who-takes-the-faith-of-my-fathers-seriously-and/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Only the most unapologetic biblical fundamentalists, for instance, take every biblical injunction literally. If we all took all scripture at the same level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/only-the-most-unapologetic-biblical-fundamentalists-for-instance-take/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“There was, of course, a more immediate point to frequent gatherings of lawmakers, diplomats, and cabinet officers at the president’s table. It tends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/there-was-of-course-a-more-immediate-point-to-frequent-gatherings-of/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“For Jefferson, William and Mary was largely about what university life is supposed to be about: reading books, enjoying the company of like-minded, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/for-jefferson-william-and-mary-was-largely-about-what-university-life/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [One wonders whether the Obama re-election campaign may be on the right track as it seeks to apply the you-break-it-you-own-it rule to Bush and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/one-wonders-whether-the-obama-re-election-campaign-may-be-on-the/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Reagan is the Republican FDR, an exemplar of presidential greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/reagan-is-the-republican-fdr-an-exemplar-of-presidential-greatness/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) [Explore all 146 Jon Meacham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## More Jefferson quotes > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Thomas Jefferson was a real poet. He was slick with that 'pursuit' of happiness because the 'pursuit' puts it back on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/thomas-jefferson-was-a-real-poet-he-was-slick-with-that-pursuit-of/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/probably-the-greatest-concentration-of-talent-and-genius-in-this/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [In seeking an empire of liberty, Jefferson wished not only to expand the country's territorial holdings, but also to extend American institutions around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/in-seeking-an-empire-of-liberty-jefferson-wished-not-only-to-expand/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“The Jefferson is such a dignified hotel / There is no such thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-jefferson-is-such-a-dignified-hotel-there-is-no-such-thing/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [The English are no nearer than they were a hundred years ago to knowing what Jefferson really meant when he said that God had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-english-are-no-nearer-than-they-were-a-hundred-years-ago-to/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [So now it turns out that Thomas Jefferson was having sex with Sally Hemings while serving in the 101st Airborne during the Vietnam War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/so-now-it-turns-out-that-thomas-jefferson-was-having-sex-with-sally/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And believe me, you are no Thomas Jefferson. (at 1992 Republican party convention, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-knew-thomas-jefferson-he-was-a-friend-of-mine-and-believe-me-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable. Thomas Jefferson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-grove/a-morsel-of-genuine-history-is-a-thing-so-rare-as-to-be-always/) [Tim Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-grove/) > [ Every answer he \[President John Adams\] gives to his addressers unmasks more and more his principles and views. His language to the young men… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/every-answer-he-president-john-adams-gives-to-his-addressers-unmasks/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Mr. Jefferson has reason to reflect upon himself. How he will get rid of his remorse in his retirement, I know not. He must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/mr-jefferson-has-reason-to-reflect-upon-himself-how-he-will-get-rid/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I love the example of Jefferson because he's willing to murder his government and then he becomes a president and then his face is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-love-the-example-of-jefferson-because-he-s-willing-to-murder-his/) [Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/) > [What I'm thinking about more and more these days is simply the importance of transparency, and Jefferson's saying that he'd rather have a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/what-i-m-thinking-about-more-and-more-these-days-is-simply-the/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) > [ \[John\] Adams was the best and most colorful stylist among the Founders. Although \[Tomas\] Jefferson is widely regarded as the smoothest writer, Adams is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/john-adams-was-the-best-and-most-colorful-stylist-among-the-founders/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) [Browse all 174 Jefferson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Jefferson style – cultivate his elders, make himself pleasant to his contemporaries, and used his pen and his intellect to shape the debate – arm him well for the national arena.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Meacham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders-make-himself-pleasant-to-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Jefferson" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders-make-himself-pleasant-to-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/jon-meacham-2863_jefferson_the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders_2193396.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/jon-meacham-2863_jefferson_the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders_2193396.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f92/jon-meacham-2863_jefferson_the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders_2193396.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Jefferson style – cultivate his elders, make himself pleasant to his contemporaries, and used his pen…” — Jon Meacham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jon Meacham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The Jefferson style – cultivate his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders-make-himself-pleasant-to-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-jefferson-style-cultivate-his-elders-make-himself-pleasant-to-his/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```