"Poverty is uncomfortable but nine times out of ten the best thing that can happen to a young man is to be tossed overboard and compelled to sink or swim."

Experience

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Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Experience as articulated by James A. Garfield. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Experience provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

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About James A. Garfield

James Abram Garfield was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot in July. A preacher, lawyer, and Civil War general, Garfield served nine terms in the United States House of Representatives and is the only sitting member of the House to be elected president. Before he ran for president, the Ohio General Assembly had elected him to the U.S. Senate, a position he declined upon becoming president-elect.

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More by James A. Garfield

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable."

— James A. Garfield
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"He who controls the money supply of a nation controls the nation."

— James A. Garfield
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"The sin of slavery is one of which it may be said that without the shedding of blood there is no remission."

— James A. Garfield
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"A law is not a law without coercion behind it."

— James A. Garfield
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More about Experience

"More than ever before, there is a global understanding that long-term social, economic, and environmental development would be impossible without healthy families, communities, and countries."

— Gro Harlem Brundtland
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"On vacations: We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings."

— Erma Bombeck
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"We had high and boisterous winds last night and this morning: the Indians continue to purchase repairs with grain of different kinds."

— Meriwether Lewis
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"I really hope that we'll have a sustainable future on this planet, I really do. So I probably geek out mostly about learning more about how potentially we can hopefully make that happen, hopefully we're not too far lost."

— Ellen Page
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