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
Concede that the new government of Louisiana is only to what it should be, as the egg is to the fowl; we shall sooner have the fowl by hatching the egg than by smashing it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Change requires patience and nurturing, rather than forceful destruction.
In this quote, Abraham Lincoln uses the metaphor of an egg and a fowl to illustrate the idea that real change must be cultivated and allowed to develop naturally, rather than attempting to force it or destroy existing structures. Just as one cannot create a chicken by simply breaking an egg, the new government in Louisiana must be allowed to grow and evolve into what it should be, emphasizing the importance of patience in the face of transformation.
Themes
ChangeGovernmentNurturingGrowthPatience
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for gradual reforms in a political system.
More from Abraham Lincoln
All quotes →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.
Abraham LincolnRead
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
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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.
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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.
Abraham LincolnRead
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.
Abraham LincolnRead
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