Right Attitudes

Inspirational Quotations by Abraham Lincoln (#363)

Nagesh Belludi

Lincoln Memorial in Washington D. C.

It’s the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, one of the world’s most recognized political leaders of all time. The 16th President of the United States was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809.

Not much is known about Lincoln’s early life. He was born in a log cabin in a poor family, lost his mother at nine, completed just a year of traditional schooling, and spent his youth in Indiana. He did manual labor until he was 21.

Lincoln pursued self-education by reading books on grammar and rhetoric and joined a debate society. After years of private study of law, he obtained a licensed to practice law at age 27 and, in time, became one of Illinois ablest lawyers. Concurrently, Lincoln worked his way through the Illinois state legislature and got elected to the United States House of Representatives. He gained popularity for his down-to-earth wit, integrity, and opposition to the institution of slavery.

Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency

Lincoln’s political and military leadership during the Civil War held the country together through the worst crisis in its history and made him one of the most admired presidents of the United States. John Wilkes Booth, an actor who attended Lincoln’s second inauguration, fatally wounded Abraham Lincoln just six weeks later at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C.

During his time, Lincoln was known for his compassionate nature, gentle spirit, and great oratory. Some of his speeches, most prominently, the Gettysburg Address of 1863, and writings are still widely quoted. Unlike most presidents, Abraham Lincoln never wrote his memoirs.

I recommend the following books for on the audacity of Lincoln in the face of widespread criticism his administration and his personal character and a discussion of his presidency.

Quotations by Abraham Lincoln

Be sure your feet are in the right place. Then stand firm.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

The trouble with too many people is they believe the realm of truth always lies within their vision.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

If I care to listen to every criticism, let alone act on them, then this shop may as well be closed for all other businesses. I have learned to do my best, and if the end result is good then I do not care for any criticism, but if the end result is not good, then even the praise of ten angels would not make the difference.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

Few can be induced to labor exclusively for posterity. Posterity has done nothing for us.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

When I am getting ready to reason with a man, I spend one-third of my time thinking about myself and what I am going to say and two-thirds about him and what he is going to say.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition… I have no other so great as that of being truely esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

My old father used to have a saying: If you make a bad bargain, hug it all the tighter.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his true friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the greatest highroad to his reason, and which when once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing his judgment of the justice of your cause, if, indeed, that cause be really a just one. On the contrary, assume to dictate to his judgment, or to command his action, or to make him as one to be shunned or despised, and he will retreat within himself, close all the avenues to his head and heart; and though your cause be naked truth itself, transformed to the heaviest lance, harder than steel and sharper than steel can be made, and though you throw it with more than Herculean force and precision, you shall be no more able to pierce him than to penetrate the hard shell of a tortoise with a rye straw.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

In this and like communities public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed; consequently he who moulds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes and decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible to be executed.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

The strongest bond of human sympathy, outside of the family relation, should be one uniting all working people, of all nations, and tongues, and kindreds. Nor should this lead us to a war upon property, or the owners of property. Property is the fruit of labor; property is desirable; is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich and, hence, is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus, by example, assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

If you intend to go to work, there is no better place than right where you are; if you do not intend to go to work, you cannot get along anywhere. Squirming and crawling about from place to place can do no good.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

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