Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) was perhaps the most important American president in history, since the role he played in the Civil War has undoubtedly been very relevant to this day.
The fight that Lincoln carried out to achieve the abolition of slavery and to promote human rights is still valid today and many of the rights that we enjoy today come from the ideals of this great person.
We’ve all heard about this former American president, but what do we really know about the person he was? If you want to know a little more about his way of thinking or about the ideas he had, pay attention.
Below you can enjoy a compilation of the 80 best famous phrases of Abraham Lincoln with which you will be able to enter the mind of this exemplary American icon.
1. It often takes more courage to dare to do the right thing than to fear doing the wrong thing.
Acting honestly can sometimes bring us harm, as it can be a painful act for someone else.
2. Almost all people are as happy as they decide to be.
In order to be happy our attitude is essential.
3. Knowledge is the best investment you can make.
Indeed, as Lincoln explains very well in this quote, knowledge is power.
4. Do nothing for anyone who can do it for himself.
We must let others solve their problems for themselves, this way they will learn to help themselves in a much more effective way.
5. Things can come to those who wait, but only things left by those who hurry.
Knowing how to wait for the right moment to do something is undoubtedly a great virtue.
6. If we could first know where we are and where we are going, we could better judge what to do and how to do it.
Knowing all the details exactly will allow us to achieve victory, without them we are simply lost.
7. Tact is the ability to describe to others how they see themselves.
Knowing how to act with each person can be beneficial for us, adapting to our interlocutor.
8. Laughter can be used to calm the mind and get rid of terrible thoughts.
Humor is something that has helped humanity throughout its history, with it we are able to face very complicated situations.
25. Important principles can and should be inflexible.
Knowing how to adapt to the moment and adapt in the correct way towards a goal is something that can be crucial to achieve it.
26. God undoubtedly loves humble people very much; for if it were otherwise, he would not have made them so numerous.
Humble people must be protected and supported by society, they have not chosen to live like this.
27. Nothing in this world is impossible for a willing heart.
With the strength of our determination we can achieve everything we set our minds to.
28. When I hear someone fervently defend slavery, I feel a strong urge to see them live it personally.
Defending slavery is something that may seem incredible in the 21st century, but Lincoln had to fight against its defenders.
29. It is better to give way to a dog than to let it bite you.
We must learn to avoid conflict, conflicts are never positive.
30. Women, I’m afraid, are the only people I thought would never hurt me.
The role of women within society has never been as relevant as it is today.
31. Man has never found a definition for the word freedom.
The concept of freedom can be very broad and encompass many different forms of freedom, such as sexual freedom, religious freedom or freedom of expression.
32. No one has enough memory to always lie successfully.
Lying is a very negative resource that has always accompanied human beings and which we should undoubtedly get rid of.
33. The best part of one’s life consists of one’s friendships.
Friendship is a type of relationship that is very beneficial for its members and from which very positive aspects can emerge.
34. Do we not destroy our enemies when we make them our friends?
Creating alliances will allow us to transform our enemies into friends, something that is undoubtedly very advantageous for us.
35. The philosophy of the school classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.
How we raise our children will clearly determine what the next generations are like.
36. What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.
Negative publicity can be very harmful, we must know how to control it.
37. Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people.
Abraham Lincoln was a clear defender of democracy, something we all share today.
38. The nation is stronger because of the unity of its children and family members than because of its military power.
The values ​​of a nation reside in its population and its moral principles.
39. All men are born equal, but this is the last time they are.
From the moment we are born, moral, economic and political influences divide us among ourselves.
40. There can be glory in failure and despair in success.
The difference between a victory or a defeat depends solely on how we perceive it, we can be defeated and also want to be defeated.
41. Every man’s happiness is his own responsibility.
We must strive to achieve happiness in our personal lives, that is the greatest search we carry out in life.
42. You cannot benefit the weak by harming the strong.
In this quote Lincoln tells us about impartiality, we must be totally fair with the entire population equally.
43. Public opinion in this country is everything.
Public opinion dictated the future of a politician directly, we must know what they think of us and how we can adapt to their criteria.
44. You have to do your own growth, no matter how tall your grandfather was.
Regardless of how others do it, we have to find our own way.
45. The way for a young man to grow is to improve himself in every way he can, without suspecting that anyone wants to hinder him.
Focusing on ourselves and our mistakes will help us discover where we failed when performing a task.
46. ​​Let virtue adorn your thoughts.
A very poetic quote from Lincoln that encourages us to know how to enhance and use our best attributes.
47. Always remember that your own resolve to succeed is more important than anything else.
Acting decisively in difficult moments will help us achieve everything we want.
48. I am nothing, the truth is everything.
We must know how to accept the truth even though it may not be conducive to us.
49. If slavery is not unjust, then there is nothing unjust.
Slavery was an evil that plagued the civilized world for too long and that, unfortunately, continues to be used by mafias in third world countries to this day.
50. Why not have confidence in the justice of the people? Is there any better hope in the world or one that can equal it?
All citizens of a country must be treated in the same way and have the same inalienable rights.
51. A friend is one who has the same enemies that you have.
When you have common enemies with a third party, that person could be a great ally.
52. If I had two faces. Would I be using this one?
We must know how to act according to the moment we are in.
53. To soften the pains of others is to forget your own.
Doing charity work can help us overcome loss.
54. The struggle and desperation to obtain a public job, seeking a way to live without working, will finally test the strength of our institutions.
The officials of any nation must be exemplary workers, something that unfortunately is not achieved even in the 21st century.
55. You can fool everyone some of the time. You can fool some all the time. But you can’t fool everyone all the time.
Lying is something that sooner or later others will discover, you cannot always deceive.
56. I think that if I were you, if I wasn’t very right in the head, I would avoid standing still.
Carrying out tasks in our daily lives can help us achieve greater mental clarity.
57. It is best not to exchange horses while crossing the river.
Unnecessarily complicating our lives will undoubtedly lead us to failure.
58. Everything I am or hope to be I owe to my mother’s angelic concern.
Our mother’s support has been and will be without a doubt, very relevant in anyone’s life.
59. The probability that we will fall in the fight should not deter us from supporting a cause that we believe to be just. It won’t deter me.
Fighting for what is fair is what we should all do, be faithful to what we believe.
60. If I am killed, then I will die once; But living with the constant threat of death is like dying over and over again.
Death will reach all of us when our time comes, we should not obsess over the fact that one day it will arrive.
61. I don’t know who my grandfather was; I care much more about knowing who his grandson will be.
Who we are today does not depend on our ancestors, in life our success is decided by us.
62. A state in which freedom and slavery coexist cannot endure.
Without a doubt, freedom and slavery can never coexist, they are ideas totally adverse to each other.
63. You can make any quote sound meaningful by putting a famous person’s name after it.
Using someone’s name to highlight a quote is something that has always been used, but we must stick with what the quote really wants to convey to us.
64. I don’t like that man. I should know him better.
When we don’t know what goals or ideals a person has, getting to know them is the best way to discover them.
65. I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
Mercy is not a symptom of weakness, it is a symptom of clear behavioral and material superiority.
66. Everyone wants to live a long time but no one wants to be old.
Old age is something we will all go through if we are lucky, and perhaps a very beautiful stage in our lives.
67. Don’t be fooled. Revolutions do not go backwards.
Cutting rights will never be favorable to us, so a revolution will always be progressive.
68. The government of the people, by the people and for the people, should not perish from the Earth.
The government is the body that regulates all aspects by which its citizens are governed.
69. He who has a heart willing to help has the right to criticize.
We should criticize something when we ourselves are willing to get to work.
70. I am a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.
Fighting for what we want will eventually lead us to achieve our goals.
71. Hypocrite: the man who murdered his parents, and then asked for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.
When we carry out an act we must be consistent with it and then not want to reject what it entails.
72. Love is the chain to bind a child to his father.
Love is one of the strongest feelings that anyone can feel.
73. I like to see a man proud of the place he lives. I like to see a man who lives so that his place is proud of him.
The feeling of belonging to a place will carry us if we are consistent in its defense.
74. We should be too great not to take offense and too noble not to give it.
We do not need to offend others in order to make our intentions clear, we should not fall so low.
75. If you want to win a follower for your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.
Sincerity will open numerous doors in life, we must be honest and sincere with our peers.
76. Always keep in mind that your own resolve to succeed is more important than any other.
If we have the total decision that we will achieve our objective, we will without a doubt be unstoppable.
77. Don’t leave until tomorrow what you can do today.
Laziness is something that has done a lot of damage to human beings and that we must get rid of.
78. A ballot is stronger than a rifle bullet.
With our vote we give legitimacy and power to our representatives, the vote is a very powerful weapon that should not be taken lightly.
79. Just as I would not be a slave, I would not be a master either. This expresses my idea of ​​democracy.
Abraham Lincoln was a great defender of the people and human rights, an example to follow in anyone’s life.
80. Whatever you are, be a good one.
No matter what you do, we must always try to improve ourselves and do better.
