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
I am slow to learn and slow to forget that which I have learned. My mind is like a piece of steel, very hard to scratch any thing on it and almost impossible after you get it there to rub it out.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of learning slowly and retaining knowledge once it is acquired.
Abraham Lincoln reflects on his learning process, suggesting that while he may take time to grasp concepts, the knowledge he does acquire becomes firmly embedded in his mind. The metaphor of a 'piece of steel' illustrates his strong memory and resilience against forgetting, highlighting the value of deliberate and persistent learning.
Themes
LearningMemoryKnowledgeStudyPersistence
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational seminar about the importance of lifelong learning.
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.
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.
Abraham LincolnRead
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
Similar quotes
Don't be different just for different's sake. If you see it differently, function that way. Follow your own muse, always.
Morgan FreemanRead
I will waste not even a precious second today in anger or hate or jealousy or selfishness. I know that the seeds I sow I will harvest, because every action, good or bad, is always followed by an equal reaction. I will plant only good seeds this day.
Og MandinoRead
Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions and fears
Hunter S. ThompsonRead
The revealed Word awakened me, but it was the preached Word that saved me, and I must ever attach peculiar value to the hearing of the truth, for by it I received the joy and peace in which my soul delights.
Charles SpurgeonRead
Disability is an art - an ingenious way to live.
Neil MarcusRead
The body shuts down when it has too much to bear; goes its own way quietly inside, waiting for a better time, leaving you numb and half alive.
Jeanette WintersonRead