Patience and long-term thinking
Let what will be said or done, preserve your sang-froid immovably, and to every obstacle, oppose patience, perseverance, and soothing language.
— Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Letter to William Short (18 March 1792)

Patience and long-term thinking

What it means

Jefferson advises keeping calm and meeting every obstacle with patience, perseverance and tact. Composure wins where force fails.

About the author

Thomas Jefferson — Founding Father, U.S. president from 1801 to 1809.

Source and verification

Source
Letter to William Short (18 March 1792)
Reference
Thomas Jefferson on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Public domain: the author died in 1826.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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