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
My experience has taught me that a man who has no vices has damned few virtues.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that having vices can lead to stronger virtues, as they reflect the complexities of human nature.
Abraham Lincoln's quote reflects the idea that human beings are inherently flawed and that our vices often contribute to the depth of our character. Virtues alone may seem superficial without the context of struggle and moral complexity represented by vices. It implies that acknowledging our imperfections is an important part of personal growth and understanding our true selves.
Themes
VicesVirtuesHuman NatureCharacterGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about personal development.
More from Abraham Lincoln
All quotes βSir, 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.
Abraham LincolnRead
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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In the end I do respond to my own instincts. Sometimes they're successful, and obviously sometimes they're not. But you have to, I think, remain true to what you believe in.
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My experience is what I agree to attend to.
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Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble; they must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction, otherwise we shall not truly receive them.
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The more one forgives himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself.
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Stupidity often saves a man from going mad.
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A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, "rivers of living water" will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even "to the end of the earth" regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be.
Oswald ChambersRead