I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
All I have learned, I learned from books.
Interpretation
Knowledge and wisdom can primarily be acquired through reading and studying.
This quote by Abraham Lincoln emphasizes the importance of books as a source of knowledge and personal growth. It suggests that books play a crucial role in shaping one's understanding of the world and developing intellectual capacities, stressing that the knowledge we gain from reading is foundational to our learning process.
In practice
During a graduation speech to encourage students to value their reading habits.
I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Sir, 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.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
What are called 'public schools' in many of America's wealthy communities aren't really 'public' at all. In effect, they're private schools, whose tuition is hidden away in the purchase price of upscale homes there, and in the corresponding property taxes.
For me, literacy means freedom. For the individual and for society.
We teachers can only help the work going on, as servants wait upon a master.
I wouldn't wish any specific thing for any specific person - it's none of my business. But the idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane. It's insane.
If you're going to learn a new language, you can't try to be perfect. You'll stop yourself from talking. You just have to let go.
Just once in a while let us exalt the importance of ideas and information.
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