Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers

by Nick Offerman

“Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure. . . . Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never.”

Make your desired vocation known to those around you, then proceed to exhibit the most impressive work ethic in whatever occupation is at hand.

(whom I would never call “Teddy,” as it was a nickname he despised)

Roosevelt

My copy of Huckleberry Finn may weigh more than a Kindle, but if I am reading it under a tree in Minnesota, I am in zero danger of any pop-up ads or other apps appropriating my focus.

“No matter how plain a woman may be, if truth and loyalty are stamped upon her face, all will be attracted to her.”

One aspect of this topic that I often regurgitate is his dislike for a society that celebrates the notion of “Thank God it’s Friday!” Taking this position, people are necessarily saying that they despise five of every seven days of their lives. He said he first noticed it when he was teaching college, that people would answer the question “How are you doing?” with “Well, pretty good, for a Monday.”

Wendell Berry

“If you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.”

The thing I love about these great thinkers by whom I am inspired is that they understand the imperative of coming from a place of ignorance, which will never change.