Abigail Adams, his wife, in a letter to John Thaxter (1778-09-29).
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If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?
— John Adams
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?" in the context of "Abigail Adams, his wife, in a letter to John Thaxter (1778-09-29)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "John Adams" (Misattributed: Statements originally made by others, that have been wrongly attributed to Adams )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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.
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.
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