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
How many times have I laughed at you telling me plainly that I was too lazy to be anything but a lawyer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the judgment of others regarding one's ambition and potential.
Abraham Lincoln's quote examines the perception of laziness and ambition in a professional context, suggesting that external judgments can sometimes overlook a person's deeper ambitions or capabilities. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and resilience against criticism, implying that one's potential is not solely defined by others' opinions.
Themes
AmbitionLazinessJudgmentPotentialPerception
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to young professionals, one might say, 'Remember Lincolnβs insight on perception and ambition.'
More from Abraham Lincoln
All quotes βSir, 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
The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now
Zig ZiglarRead
Our experience over the last 20 years has shown that indeed people must themselves become their own liberators. You cannot wait for somebody else to come and rescue you.
Thabo MbekiRead
We had no desire to live in Istanbul, nor in Paris or New York. Let them have their discos and dollars, their skycrapers and supersonics transports. Let them have their radios and their color TV, hey, we have ours, don't we? But we have something they don't have. Heart. We have heart. Look, look how the light of life seeps into my very heart
Orhan PamukRead
Never confuse motion with action.
Benjamin FranklinRead
Every mind was made for growth, for knowledge, and its nature is sinned against when it is doomed to ignorance.
William Ellery ChanningRead
Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people.
Napoleon HillRead