--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An industrious farmer occupies a more…" description: "\"An industrious farmer occupies a more dignified place in the scale of beings...than a lazy lounger...too proud to work, and drawing out a miserable exi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/thomas-jefferson-43_drawing_an-industrious-farmer-occupies-a-more-di_3164850.jpg" --- # An industrious farmer occupies a more dignified place in… ![“An industrious farmer occupies a more dignified place in the scale of beings...than a lazy lounger...too proud to work, and drawing out a miserable existence by eating on that surplus of other men's labor.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/thomas-jefferson-43_drawing_an-industrious-farmer-occupies-a-more-di_3164850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/thomas-jefferson-43_drawing_an-industrious-farmer-occupies-a-more-di_3164850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/thomas-jefferson-43_drawing_an-industrious-farmer-occupies-a-more-di_3164850.jpg) > “An industrious farmer occupies a more dignified place in the scale of beings...than a lazy lounger...too proud to work, and drawing out a miserable existence by eating on that surplus of other men's labor.” [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A diligent farmer holds higher dignity than a lazy person who lives off others' work, leading to a miserable existence. **In simple terms:** Hard work is dignified; laziness leads to misery. Key Takeaway Value industriousness. Themes work dignity economics Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - rural life - career choices - community building - self‑reliance Key Concepts agriculture social hierarchy ethics Questions to Reflect On - Is dignity tied only to labor? - What balance of work and rest feels right? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on work can ignore leisure needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beings Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-lazy-5736167/) [Drawing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing/) [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmer/) [Farmer Occupies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmer-occupies-5736166/) [Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmers/) [Industrious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrious/) [Industrious Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrious-farmer-5736165/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-labor-294445/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud/) [Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scales/) [Surplus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surplus/) ## Related quotes > [“Well!—an honest and industrious farmer is one of the most useful members of society;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/well-an-honest-and-industrious-farmer-is-one-of-the-most-useful/) [Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The Earth is given as a common for men to labor and live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-earth-is-given-as-a-common-for-men-to-labor-and-live-in/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Men can labor to make sense out of single steps toward the goal without ever pausing to reflect that the goal itself is ludicrous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/men-can-labor-to-make-sense-out-of-single-steps-toward-the-goal/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [“The laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day; he cannot afford to sustain the manliest relations to men; his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-laboring-man-has-not-leisure-for-a-true-integrity-day-by-day-he/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [For when men labor they keep out of mischief. 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