Abraham Lincoln was 16th president of the United States of America and led the country through the American Civil War. He brought about Emancipation Proclamation, which led to the abolition of slavery. He was a successful lawyer and politician and also an innovator. He designed a novel floatation system that could help to lift riverboats from sandbars. He came from a financially humble family and in the absence of formal education, he self-educated himself mostly by reading a lot of books. He won the presidential election twice- 1860 and 1864.
He is regarded as one of the Greatest President United States of America ever saw. Here are a few of the best Abraham Lincoln Quotes.
Every man's happiness is his own responsibility.
Our happiness lies within us. It is true, things that happen to us are not always in our control. And these circumstances more or less decide our feelings. But that doesn't mean we can't try to control our state of mind. It won't be easy, but it is imperative to find a solution to a life that is riddled with problems and sufferings, only then we can survive it with a sane mind.
Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?
Animosity can be destroyed with friendliness. Always go for a peaceful way to end any dispute. Try to understand other's perspective and try to forgive. Try to be amicable, even with those who hold hostile feelings against you. It will be beneficial to you in unexpected ways.
Whatever you are, be a good one.
It doesn't matter much what you choose to do with your life. You can decide to make your career in any field, whatever it may strive for excellence. And above all, no matter your job or your stature, always be a good human being.
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
Power can change people's personality, sometimes for good and sometime's for worse. When a person is struck with misfortune, how he reacts to it and turn the situation around, tells how emotionally and mentally strong the person is.
Similarly, when power and authority are handed over to someone, how he makes use of it tells a lot about his wisdom. Moreover, how he treats others after gaining power tells a lot about his character.
Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.
He is trying to harp here the importance of participating in the election and casting your vote. It is our vote that will make the government, which will lead us and run our nation. It is pivotal to decide to make a capable government, which can improve and uplift the country. If we don't vote, we are dooming ourselves, and our fellow countrymen to live under an unworthy government and suffer through its rule.
The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is why he made so many of them.
No one can deny the impact of aesthetic value. No matter how much we try not to care about it, all of us has a deep desire to look beautiful. Lincoln is asking not to be disheartened about your looks. All are similar in the eyes of God. Just because you don't stand out lookswise, doesn't mean you are not special. All of us are born with a certain uniqueness, and we must strive to discover and explore it.
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.
It was about the American Civil War when Lincoln expressed his doubts. He says he is not concerned if his side will win or not. He was more worried if he was fighting for the right side, for the right cause. He was afraid if God would approve of his cause.
When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.
His religion was all about good deeds. He believed in good karma and not because he thought that in return of doing good, he will receive the same. But good work made him feel satisfied and peaceful. And it was sacred to him, to do the right thing only then he could be happy.
Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.
Success is indeed a time taking process. It needs patience. But you can't just sit idle and wait for success. You have to work for it too. Else, you will be at the receiving end of fate.
Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing.
Your reputation is a direct result of how you behave with others which are governed by the kind of person you are. He compares our character to a tree, which is very much real, and our character materializes in the form of our words and gestures. Whereas our reputation is not real but just a mere reflection of our characters in other's minds. If you want to change your reputation, go for the real source, change your character.
Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves
Lincoln was a 'great emancipator' who worked to abolish slavery. At the time when slavery was a normal social construct, he voiced against the practice and called it immoral and inhumane. He abolished the practice as he knew they have no right to deny freedom to any human. Those who hamper other's freedom do not deserve to be free themselves.
Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it.
Your perception of others is profoundly related to your expectations. So, if you already have strong beliefs about someone, you are more likely to focus on actions that strengthen those beliefs. He is warning against constructing stereotypes and holding on to them. If you want to see better in others, go with an open mind and not with a predefined judgement.
Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.
First, decide what you want to do, what is it you want to dedicate your life to. Is your purpose ethically and morally sound? If yes, then hold your ground firmly. Once you have decided what you want to work for, don't abandon it no matter how tough it gets. When things get hard, remember your purpose, why you started this in the first place. Don't lose the sight of all the commitments and promises that are riding on this. And don't quit, see the process through.
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You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
He advocates about honesty and integrity. If you try to fool someone, try to sell them untrue ideas you won't be successful in the long run. You might be able to gain their trust initially, you might be able to find a few gullible. But eventually, your lies will unravel, and you will lose everything you created. Not everyone will fall for your false gimmicks, and whoever falls, they won't last for long.
I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.
It is important to believe in the best of others. Encourage your friends and family; sometimes your support is all that drives them to be better. Stand by your friend even when others stand against him, even when conditions seem unfavourable to his victory. All he needs is your support, sometimes that can solely make a huge difference between his success and failure. And if you happen to be on the other side, try your best to live up to these expectations.
I have been driven many times upon 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 that day.
It's okay to have days when you are extremely low on self-esteem. When you can't find a single shred of hope or faith in you and can't seem to carry on with your work, turn towards God or any Greater Power you believe in. There will come days when your faculties won't be enough to tackle a problem, nor the capabilities of people around you will help you. When such happens, have faith in God. Have a strong belief that he will sort out all that's beyond your control.
I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.
It is possible to look at all the suffering around you and question the existence of God. When you look at all the evils that malign our world today to no end, it is easy to turn your belief towards atheism. However, when you look at the wonders and all the good that still occurs in the world despite the evil, it is not easy to refute His existence. Lincoln says when he looks at the beautiful never-ending sky and all the mysteries and surprises it holds, he can not help but imagine a divine power working in the background.
I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.
Victory is not promised to everyone. Whether you win or lose is not in your control. What you can control is to persevere to your fullest abilities, to be true to yourself and work with integrity. Explore all your talents and skills, work to your fullest to become proficient. Don't worry about the outcome.
You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry
We generally get angry when we feel attacked or threatened or meted out of unfair treatment. What we perceive unfair tells a lot about the kind of person we are. How easily we feel attacked tells about our mental strength.
I am not concerned that you have fallen -- I am concerned that you arise.
It is okay to fail; failure will come to everyone at least once in their lifetime. And it will bring a lot of lessons for you. The most important thing is to learn from your failure and get back up and continue persevering towards your goal.
After five days of ending of Civil War, on April 14 1865, the great statesman was assassinated.
According to his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, his last words were -
We will visit the Holy Land, and see those places hallowed by the footsteps of the Savior. There is no city on earth I so much desire to see as Jerusalem.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered a list of the top Abraham Lincoln Quotes on Education, Leadership, Success, Power, Democracy and Friendship.
Co-author: Shreya Arya
A digital marketing enthusiast with experience in HR and hospital management, Shreya has wide interests ranging from philosophy, psychology to latest trends in automation. She is also a freelance content writer and loves lending beautiful words to ideas and feelings.
