Friday, July 08, 2022

Thomas Jefferson on walking

Dr. V has a post up that quotes Thomas Jefferson on both walking and the activity of shooting as a way to sharpen the mind. I'm mostly interested in the walking-related part of Jefferson's thoughts, which I quote below:

Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. The Europeans value themselves on having subdued the horse to the uses of man. But I doubt whether we have not lost more than we have gained by the use of this animal. No one has occasioned so much the degeneracy of the human body. An Indian goes on foot nearly as far in a day, for a long journey, as an enfeebled white does on his horse, and he will tire the best horses. There is no habit you will value so much as that of walking far without fatigue.

What Jefferson says about horses could be said today about cars and other vehicles.



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