What the Founding Fathers Can Teach Us about the Soul of Work
Jeffrey Rosen on "A Life Worth Working"
How do we cultivate a meaningful life in an age of distraction?
In the latest episode of A Life Worth Working, my co-host
and I sit down with Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, professor of law, author, and student of America’s founding ideals. What emerges is a deep and joyful conversation of how the habits of the Founding Fathers might hold the keys to flourishing in today’s world of hyperstimulation.
This episode isn’t a history lesson. It’s about how timeless virtues like self-discipline, prudence, and moderation offer a radical, countercultural path forward in an era dominated by reactive behavior and digital overload. Jeffrey offers a heartfelt, intellectually expansive meditation on what it means to live deliberately in a world that often pulls us away from ourselves.
Our Founding Fathers and the Habit of Industry
Jeffrey invites us to reconsider a virtue that may sound old-fashioned: industry, or working hard and diligently. To the Founding Fathers, industry wasn’t about hustle; it was about habits or practice — a daily commitment to redirect our attention, cultivate our souls, and build a life not of consumption, but of creation.
Industry includes a deep, almost sacred dedication to reading, writing, thinking, and becoming. Jeffrey describes Thomas Jefferson’s extraordinary reading list, notable not just for its diverse content—ranging from literature and political philosophy to science and poetry—but also for its rigorous schedule. Jefferson advised rising before dawn, reading moral philosophy for two hours, watching the sunrise, and then continuing to read for another 12 hours.
Rosen recounts how during COVID times, he did his own experiment based off of Jefferson’s reading list: waking before dawn, reading moral philosophy, watching the sunrise, and writing sonnets to synthesize the wisdom he absorbed. He wasn’t chasing productivity. He was rediscovering what it means to be alive—to engage deeply and intentionally in the shaping of one's character.
One of the most moving parts of the episode is Rosen’s reflection on flow—those moments when we’re so immersed in learning or creating that we lose track of time and even ourselves. He shares the joy of writing a song in the morning, knowing the day has already been redeemed regardless of what else follows.
His stories remind us that curiosity and creativity are not frivolous—they are lifelines. And they are teachable. His own mother modeled this enthusiasm and curiosity that fuels his learning and teaching to this day.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the noise… if you're hungry for a different rhythm of life that values thoughtfulness over speed, this episode is for you.