Abraham Lincoln is a man of great strength and wisdom. He was born in Kentucky, but he made his way to Illinois to become a lawyer and started his political career.
He believed that the United States should be united as one nation, not split up into different states with their agendas. He ran for president on this platform and won by an overwhelming majority vote because people wanted unity so much they were willing to overlook any other flaws or shortcomings in him as a candidate.
Lincoln was elected again after the Civil War ended, which would have been impossible if he hadn’t done such an amazing job uniting all 50 states together under one flag during the war.
In this blog post, we look at some famous quotes from Abraham Lincoln and implement them in different aspects of our lives.
1. “Important principles may and must be inflexible.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always stand up for what we believe in, whether that might be a political issue or an ethical dilemma. What’s important is that we have principles that guide our lives and actions without bending them to take into account the views of others. If we don’t do this, how can we be sure that what we are doing is right?
2. “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” – Abraham Lincoln
Character means who you are, while your reputation means how other people see you. Of course, many people want to have a good reputation above everything else because that enables them to lead a more successful and comfortable life. But if it comes down to having character or a good reputation, we should choose the former to be true to who we are.
3. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always be aware of where we are, i.e. factors such as our environment and the people around us. If we stand in a bad place, we can’t expect to remain upright and balanced no matter how solid and firm we try to stand. We need to balance this with deciding what we truly want from life and not letting other factors distract us from our goals.
4. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always try to do the right thing and not be swayed by how other people behave or what they think of us because we know that it’s possible to look after ourselves without hurting others to get ahead. If we’re good, people will see that and treat us accordingly.
5. “Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always be honest with ourselves about our faults and other people’s faults because that enables us to convey ourselves more realistically to other people who will appreciate us for who we are instead of pretending to be perfect.
6. “When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always believe in ourselves and our ability to make the right decisions because that enables us to strive towards what’s best instead of being overcome by negative thoughts. We should always have faith that every action we take is an opportunity to learn and grow, even if it doesn’t result in success.
7. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always aim high when pursuing our goals because this helps us strive towards our full potential. But, on the other hand, if we keep our goals modest and not too challenging, we’re more likely to give up when things get difficult, which isn’t a good way of progressing in life.
8. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always strive towards being responsible individuals because this enables us to set an example for our peers and thus make it easier for them to respect us. However, if we do nothing, how can we expect other people to notice or care about what we say?
9. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always be aware of the power we have over other people and how it can help others. If we abuse this power, we’ll lose respect from our peers and everyone else who knows about what we’ve done because it shows that we don’t care about them or their feelings.
10. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always face our responsibilities head on because this is the best way to get things done and achieve our goals. If we do nothing, other people will notice, and they could use that to their advantage later, so we need to stay ahead of any game.
11. “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always act on our principles regardless of how much opposition there is because this shows other people watching what type of character we have. If we do nothing, then it makes us look weak, and people won’t respect us in the future because that’s not how leaders behave.
12. “Everybody likes a compliment.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always compliment other people wherever possible because this shows them that we appreciate their efforts, which can go a long way in making sure they act favourably towards us in the future. On the other hand, if we do nothing and ignore people, they’re more likely to see us as not worth getting to know.
13. “I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always give it our all in everything we undertake because this shows other people that we’re willing to make sacrifices to achieve our goals. But, on the other hand, if we do nothing, that sends out all the wrong messages, making us look like someone who doesn’t care enough about what they’re doing.
14. “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always stand up for what we believe in and not abandon our principles because if we do nothing, we’re letting other people dictate how we live our lives. Doing nothing makes us look weak, and no one respects someone who doesn’t have any conviction.
15. “I care not much for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always make sure that our beliefs do something to improve our lives, even if only in small ways. If we do nothing, other people will assume that there’s no point in following any particular religion because it hasn’t done anything for us.
16. “Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
We should always respect other people’s differences in opinion because this will make them feel valued and appreciated, making it easier for them to stand with us when times get tough. But, on the other hand, if we do nothing, they’ll see us as someone who doesn’t care about their feelings and will not want to help us later on.