A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest, as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man." - Meaning and context.">
"Discourses on Davila: A Series of Papers on Political History," No. 4 Gazette of the United States (1790–1791)

A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest, as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man.

— John Adams

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest, as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man." in the context of ""Discourses on Davila: A Series of Papers on Political History," No. 4 Gazette of the United States (1790–1791)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "John Adams" (Quotes, 1790s, Discourses on Davila (1790): Discourses on Davila: A Series of Papers on Political History first published in the Gazette of the United States (1790-1791); (Downloadable PDF of 1805 edition); republished with modernized spelling in The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States vol. VI (1851)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
John Adams

About John Adams

John Adams (30 October 1735 – 4 July 1826) was an American lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. He served as the second president of the United States (1797–1801), the first vice president (1789–1797), and as a Founding Father was a leader of American independence from the British Empire. Adams was a political theorist in the Age of Enlightenment who promoted republicanism and a strong central government. His innovative ideas were frequently published. He was also a dedicated diarist and correspondent, particularly with his wife and key advisor Abigail. He was the father of John Quincy Adams.