The brave man, inattentive to his duty, is worth little more to his country than the coward who deserts her in the hour of danger.
Andrew JacksonRead
Do they think that I am such a damned fool as to think myself fit for President of the United States? No, sir; I know what I am fit for. I can command a body of men in a rough way, but I am not fit to be President.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Andrew Jackson acknowledges his limitations and expresses his understanding of his capabilities.
In this quote, Andrew Jackson reflects on the nature of leadership and self-awareness. He asserts that while he possesses certain skills, such as commanding men, he is not suited for the presidential role. This acknowledgment of one's strengths and weaknesses underscores the importance of humility in leadership positions, demonstrating that true wisdom lies in recognizing one's limitations.
Themes
LeadershipHumilitySelf-AwarenessCapabilitiesLimitations
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can serve as a reminder in a leadership workshop about the need for self-awareness.
More from Andrew Jackson
All quotes →The planter, the farmer, the mechanic, and the laborer...form the great body of the people of the United States they are the bone and sinew of the country men who love liberty and desire nothing but equal rights and equal laws.
Andrew JacksonRead
There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.
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The great constitutional corrective in the hands of the people against usurpation of power, or corruption by their agents is the right of suffrage; and this when used with calmness and deliberation will prove strong enough.
Andrew JacksonRead
I feel in the depths of my soul that it is the highest, most sacred, and most irreversible part of my obligation to preserve the union of these states, although it may cost me my life.
Andrew JacksonRead
When death comes, he respects neither age nor merit. He sweeps from the earthly existence the sick and the strong, the rich and the poor, and should teach us to live to be prepared for death.
Andrew JacksonRead
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