--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thomas Jefferson once said. He said , \"We…" description: "\"Thomas Jefferson once said. He said , \"We should never judge a President by his age, only by his works.\" And ever since he told me that, I've stopped w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/ronald-reagan-119_age_thomas-jefferson-once-said-he-said-we-sh_1674909.jpg" --- # Thomas Jefferson once said. He said , "We should never… ![“Thomas Jefferson once said. He said , "We should never judge a President by his age, only by his works." And ever since he told me that, I've stopped worrying. There are those who say I've stopped working.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/ronald-reagan-119_age_thomas-jefferson-once-said-he-said-we-sh_1674909.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/ronald-reagan-119_age_thomas-jefferson-once-said-he-said-we-sh_1674909.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/ronald-reagan-119_age_thomas-jefferson-once-said-he-said-we-sh_1674909.jpg) > “Thomas Jefferson once said. He said , "We should never judge a President by his age, only by his works." And ever since he told me that, I've stopped worrying. There are those who say I've stopped working.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judging leaders should focus on achievements rather than age. **In simple terms:** Judge leaders by deeds, not age. Key Takeaway Assess performance, not age. Themes leadership evaluation age bias Mood thoughtful analytical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - job interviews - elections - performance reviews - team leadership Key Concepts political philosophy meritocracy Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure a leader’s impact? - What evidence supports judging by work? A Different Perspective Age alone does not guarantee competence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-works-896417/) [Birthday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthday/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Great veterans day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-veterans-day/) [Jefferson Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-said-896415/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Patriotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotic/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-age-896416/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Thomas jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thomas-jefferson/) [Umpires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/umpires/) [Works Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-told-896418/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/thomas-jefferson-once-said-we-should-never-judge-a-president-by-his/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [America, to me, is this enormous contrast between the heady idealism of founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, who said, 'All men are created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/america-to-me-is-this-enormous-contrast-between-the-heady-idealism-of/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [I was reading a lot of Thomas Jefferson at the time, and Jefferson said that every 20 years, if one party has stayed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-hopper/i-was-reading-a-lot-of-thomas-jefferson-at-the-time-and-jefferson/) [Dennis Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-hopper/) > [“As Thomas Jefferson said, “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-ulen-curtis/as-thomas-jefferson-said-our-greatest-happiness-does-not-depend-on/) [Laurel Ulen Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-ulen-curtis/) > [I think Thomas Jefferson would have said the more speech, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/i-think-thomas-jefferson-would-have-said-the-more-speech-the-better/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Thomas Jefferson said, The tree of liberty must be fertilized from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Yeah and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/thomas-jefferson-said-the-tree-of-liberty-must-be-fertilized-from/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [Thomas Jefferson once said, "Women shouldn't wrinkle their pretty little foreheads with politics." Now does that mean he was a sexist, or was he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-freedman/thomas-jefferson-once-said-women-shouldn-t-wrinkle-their-pretty/) [Russell Freedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-freedman/) > [I believe that Thomas Jefferson said: 'If it neither breaks my leg nor picks my pocket, what difference is it to me?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-believe-that-thomas-jefferson-said-if-it-neither-breaks-my-leg-nor/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [It was Thomas Jefferson who said that we should not allow the courts to have a monopoly on the interpretation of what is constitutional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/it-was-thomas-jefferson-who-said-that-we-should-not-allow-the-courts/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Thomas Jefferson once said: 'Of course the people don't want war. But the people can be brought to the bidding of their leader. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/thomas-jefferson-once-said-of-course-the-people-don-t-want-war-but/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [One day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/one-day-we-will-spend-our-sunset-years-telling-our-children-and-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Intelligent life on a planet comes of age when it first works out the reason for its own existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/intelligent-life-on-a-planet-comes-of-age-when-it-first-works-out-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-and-i-have-a-rendezvous-with-destiny-we-will-preserve-for-our-2/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [From time to time, life as a leader can look hopeless. To help you, consider a man who lived through this: Failed in business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/from-time-to-time-life-as-a-leader-can-look-hopeless-to-help-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“At the age of  21 Lincoln failed in business... at age 22 he was defeated in a legislative race... at age 24 he failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-newton/at-the-age-of-21-lincoln-failed-in-business-at-age-22-he-was-defeated/) [Dave Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-newton/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. 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Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thomas Jefferson once said. He said , \"We should never judge a President by his age, only by his works.\" And ever since he told me that, I've stopped worrying. 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