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
If we exchange one dollar, we both have one dollar each. But if we exchange one good thought, we both have two good thoughts
Interpretation
Sharing positive thoughts multiplies their value, unlike material possessions.
This quote by Abraham Lincoln highlights the transformative power of ideas and positive thinking. When we share a good thought, it doesn't diminish; instead, it amplifies, leading both individuals to benefit from an increase in positivity. This emphasizes the importance of nurturing and spreading good thoughts as they enrich both the giver and the receiver, contrasting with the nature of material exchange where goods are divided.
In practice
During a motivational speech to emphasize the importance of positive thinking.
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.
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.
If there is anything more dangerous to the life of the mind than having no independent commitment to ideas, it is having an excess of commitment to some special and constricting idea.
Truly, if faith is there, the believer cannot hold back... he breaks out into good works.
A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.
The personal things should be left out of platforms at conventions. You can argue yourself blue in the face, and you're not going to change each other's minds. It's a waste of your time and my time.
Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error... They are the natural enemies of error, and of error only... If [free enquiry] be restrained now, the present corruptions will be protected, and new ones encouraged.
Anything or anyone that asks you to be other than yourself is not holy, but is trying only to fill its own need.
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