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
The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read.
Interpretation
Knowledge is found in books, and a true friend helps you discover new reading material.
This quote expresses the value of knowledge and the role of friendship in the pursuit of learning. Lincoln emphasizes that the pursuit of knowledge is a significant part of life, and having a friend who aids you in finding books you have not yet read is invaluable, as it contributes to personal and intellectual growth.
In practice
In a book club discussion about the importance of reading.
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.
I really see no harm which can come of giving our children a little knowledge of physiology. ... The instruction must be real, based upon observation, eked out by good explanatory diagrams and models, and conveyed by a teacher whose own knowledge has been acquired by a study of the facts; and not the mere catechismal parrot-work which too often usurps the place of elementary teaching.
The reason why so few good books are written is that so few people who can write know anything.
Speak English!' said the Eaglet. 'I don't know the meaning of half those long words, and I don't believe you do either!
From the very beginning of his education, the child should experience the joy of discovery.
Make this the golden rule, the equivalent of the Hippocratic oath: Everything we ask a child to do should be worth doing.
All that being a college coach has done, is it's reaffirmed the need to take care of our young people. They're the ones that are going to make a difference. We spend a lot of time blaming them for stuff, and not enough time mentoring them and helping them stand on their own two feet.
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