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.
I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the humility of acknowledging that external circumstances can influence one's life.
In this quote, Abraham Lincoln reveals a deep understanding of the human experience and the often unpredictable nature of life. He acknowledges that despite our efforts to control outcomes, we are frequently at the mercy of larger events and circumstances that shape our paths. This recognition of vulnerability not only reflects Lincoln's character but also serves as a reminder of the limits of human agency in the face of life's complexities.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming adversity, you might say, 'As Abraham Lincoln once noted, events have a way of controlling us, reminding us to adapt and persevere.'
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.
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.
Similar quotes
Problems only exist in the human mind.
All cravings are the mind seeking salvation or fulfillment in external things and in the future as a substitute for the joy of Being. As long as I am my mind, I am those cravings, those needs, wants, attachments, and aversions, and apart from them there is no "I" except as a mere possibility, an unfulfilled potential, a seed that has not yet sprouted.
If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we will always end up re-creating the same world, the same evils, the same dysfunction.
You'll forget it when you're dead, and so will I. When I'm dead, I'm going to forget everything–and I advise you to do the same.
It may be that universal history is the history of the different intonations given a handful of metaphors.
One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.