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
History is not history unless it is the truth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
History must be based on truth to be considered valid and meaningful.
Abraham Lincoln's quote highlights the essential relationship between truth and history. It suggests that for historical events to be authentic and recognized as history, they must be rooted in truth; otherwise, they simply become fabrications or misconceptions that fail to convey the reality of past events.
Themes
HistoryTruthAuthenticityRealityUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
During a history lecture to emphasize the importance of factual accuracy.
More from Abraham Lincoln
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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.
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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.
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