Do you ever look around a coffee shop to see people flipping through a crisp, new newspaper? Every coffee shop that I visit to type these blog posts, the bright glare of a screen keeps people’s attention. You don’t know if people are scrolling through pictures on Instagram or researching their next business idea.
The Founders believed that reading and writing held the torch for liberty. Without continuous knowledge feeding your brain, future leaders and society do not advance toward a greater cause.
My goal for this post is to inspire you to pick up a book. If you’re a person that journals, write down your thoughts and revisit them in 6 months. Let’s find some inspiration.
Let’s Read
I became an avid reader after I broke a bone that hindered my physical movement and freedom for a few months. I revisited that accident over and over to figure out ways that I could have prevented it. But, it didn’t matter after the event had happened.
I turned to other ways to occupy time to deal with the frustration of the injury.
My idle time became a quest for knowledge. I started reading. I read books on economics, philosophy, history, and finances.
The founders became an inspiration in their quest for knowledge.
“The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read.” – Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin traded books constantly to satisfy his appetite to understand the world. His reputation as a genius is popular to this day.
He gained his status over time. But, you can attribute his success to his wisdom from the books that he read starting at a young age.
The next founder that read numerous books is Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson’s interests included books on architecture, philosophy, and ancient history.
He designed his Monticello estate with architectural books that he acquired. With the power of the internet, you can print off blueprints of many house designs that you want but…
But doing that in the 18th century without modern technology is an amazing feat.
When the British ransacked and torched Washington, the Library of Congress no longer existed. Jefferson offered his collection to replenish the public availability of knowledge. He sold over 6,000 volumes of his self-cataloged books for $23,950. That’s a lot of knowledge.
Let’s Write and Learn
Writing is an art. Language changes with time.
Dictionaries add and revise vocabulary.
If you were to mention the word “approbation” today, no one has a clue what it means. Approbation means approval. It was a popular word used in 18th-century writings.
The founder’s writings are old. Yet, they provide insight into a different world.
John Adams wrote and studied the ideals of government. He knew the specialness of the American Revolution. This became a chance to start a government from the grassroots.
“I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.” – John Adams
He wrote the Massachusetts’ Constitution. This is one of the oldest active constitutions written in 1787.
Younger generations are the future of any country. Adam’s son- John Quincy Adams- is the most learned president of all-time.
I am strictly talking intellect. There are more popular presidents than John Quincy Adams.
He spoke and wrote in over 4 languages. He became one of the primary proponents for the creation of the Smithsonian Institute.
John Quincy had opportunities that other boys his age didn’t have at the time. He traveled to France with John Adams and immersed himself in learning European writings, traditions, and customs.
Until you write and explain your ideas to yourself, it is hard to convince your thoughts to other people. Writing your ideas solidifies what you read. Therefore, you can recall what you learned when you need to.
From a practical perspective, if you’re an excellent communicator, your options open up.
You can write sweet love letters to your admirer or convince that boss to give you a raise with an epic e-mail that you create.
In case you didn’t know, one of the greatest unspoken love stories in the 18th-century was between Abigail and John Adams. They wrote love letters to each other since they spent long periods apart.
Let Liberty Reign
When you combine reading and writing, you obtain liberty.
Reading and writing are the 2 fundamentals necessary to grow a society that values liberty. Without them, ideas are like mushy potatoes that have don’t taste good. They lack structure and don’t grow inside your brain long enough to warrant merit.
The founders:
- Read different ideas about government
- Learned lessons from the Romans and the Greeks
- Gave the ideas life through writing, experience, and self-sacrifice
This process formed the United States that Americans know today.
One great metric to determine whether society will grow more advanced or shrink is the literacy rate of society. That’s why education is so important.
John Adams mentions the importance of education in many of his writings on government in the form of letters or pamphlets. One great example is Thoughts on Government.
As of 2019, the literacy rate of USA adults is:
Only 79% of USA adults read and write English on a level acceptable to understand and comprehend information. The other 21% are susceptible to being bamboozled.
Adult literacy rates are important when it comes to adults in Congress making laws. Our founders recognized the need to have educated lawmakers.
Stupid lawmakers make stupid laws based on false pretenses. The result are laws that drastically reduce liberty.
Let liberty reign with education and logic.
Conclusion
There is a process for maintaining liberty. The process requires people to read, write, and understand.
By reading and digesting information, Americans are armed with the knowledge necessary to prevent bad actors.
Writing helps to spread and awaken people to trends, policies, and negative impacts on actions that hinder liberty.
Founders as Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson dedicated their lives to life-long learning. They accomplished the greatest feats in US history… Freedom from Oppression!
Their process is simple. Dedicate yourself to never stop learning! It will pay literal dividends or life enrichment.
Featured Image: FotoDuets/shutterstock.com
