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
A man watches his pear tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the fruit. Let him attempt to force the process, and he may spoil both fruit and tree. But let him patiently wait, and the ripe pear at length falls into his lap.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Patience is crucial for achieving desired outcomes; rushing can lead to failure.
This quote emphasizes the importance of patience in the process of growth and achievement. It illustrates how impatience can lead one to act hastily, potentially harming the very objectives one hopes to attain. By advocating for a calm and patient approach, Lincoln suggests that good things, like ripe fruit, will come naturally in due time if one does not force the issue.
Themes
PatienceGrowthTimeWisdomNature
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one might say, 'Remember Lincoln's wisdom: sometimes, we must wait patiently for our efforts to bear fruit.'
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
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Their reward for enduring the awful experience was the right to tell people about it.
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Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use.
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In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.
Benjamin FranklinRead
You make some big grandoise decision about what you need to do, or who you need to be, and then circumstances arise that immediately reveal to you how little you understood about yourself.
Elizabeth GilbertRead