The Inner Jefferson by Andrew Burstein
p. 9
Burstein describes Jefferson as:
1. a Master record keeper, especially of his own habits
2. a political revolutionary with a strong complusion to preserve personal order
3. a father who espoused the value of self discipline
4. strove for the predictible in his own life, sensible regulation which would make life durable and free of drama.
5. To Thomas Jefferson, the pursuit of happiness implied the erection of a sturdy framework--the potiential to be indepedent and creative and above all this meant writing. Jefferson lives a lot of his life in his mind, reading books and writing letters.
6. A gentleman farmer. Jefferson is quoted: "No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to the garden." He was an avid gardener and shared much information with
Charles Wilson Peale, the Philadelphian artist and museum keeper
7. an amateur musician and scientist
8. a wine connoisseur
Thomas Jefferson also enjoyed sharing passionate ideas from his reading with his two closest confidants Monroe and Madison.
p. 202 Jefferson described himself as "too desirous of quiet to place myself in the way of contention."
Author says that Jefferson's response to personal hurts was to weld his pen in response.
Author says (uses sources to prove it) that Jefferson judged other people firstly by what he sensed in their hearts. He used the term "rotten-hearted" as the highest form of negative judgment.
Jefferson had a "cosumate knowldege of the human heart" and he also sought to surround himself with "sincere and reasonable (harmony-seeking) companions."