Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, left behind a legacy not only of leadership but also of profound insight into life, success, and human nature. His words continue to inspire millions around the world. Below is a curated collection of 116 of his most inspirational quotes. These quotes capture his views on perseverance, character, leadership, and hope.
116 Abraham Lincoln Inspirational Quotes for Everyday Wisdom
1. “Whatever you are, be a good one.”
2. “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
3. “I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.”
4. “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
5. “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
6. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
7. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
8. “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
9. “I would rather be a little nobody than to be an evil somebody.”
10. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
11. “My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”
12. “I do the very best I know how-the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.”
13. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.”
14. “Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing.”
15. “I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.”
16. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
17. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
18. “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”
19. “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships.”
20. “If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?”
21. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”
22. “The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.”
23. “Be with a leader when he is right, stay with him when he is still right, but leave him when he is wrong.”
24. “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”
25. “You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry.”
26. “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
27. “Love is the chain to lock a child to its parent.”
28. “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
29. “I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”
30. “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
31. “I never encourage deceit, and falsehood, especially if you have got a bad memory, is the worst enemy a fellow can have.”
32. “The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
33. “I laugh because I must not cry, that is all, that is all.”
34. “If we have no friends, we have no pleasure; and if we have them, we are sure to lose them, and be doubly pained by the loss.”
35. “I distrust the wisdom if not the sincerity of friends who would hold my hands while my enemies stab me.”
36. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.”
37. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
38. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
39. “Force is all conquering, but its victories are short lived.”
40. “I have a congenital aversion to failure.”
41. “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”
42. “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”
43. “I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot.”
44. “A farce or comedy is best played; a tragedy is best read at home.”
45. “Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them.”
46. “He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.”
47. “Tact: the ability to describe others as they see themselves.”
48. “I will prepare and someday my chance will come.”
49. “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
50. “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
51. “I’m a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis.”
52. “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.”
53. “I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.”
54. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
55. “I am slow to learn and slow to forget that which I have learned.”
56. “Let bygones be bygones; let past differences be nothing.”
57. “Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.”
58. “The better part of one’s life consists in his friendships.”
59. “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
60. “Whatever you are, be a good one.”
61. “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”
62. “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true.”
63. “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
64. “You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry.”
65. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
66. “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships.”
67. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
68. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
69. “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
70. “I laugh because I must not cry, that is all, that is all.”
71. “I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”
72. “No man is poor who has a Godly mother.”
73. “Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it.”
74. “I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.”
75. “My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”
76. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
77. “I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.”
78. “The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.”
79. “I have a congenital aversion to failure.”
80. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
81. “If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
82. “I never encourage deceit, and falsehood, especially if you have got a bad memory, is the worst enemy a fellow can have.”
83. “I am slow to learn and slow to forget that which I have learned.”
84. “I laugh because I must not cry, that is all, that is all.”
85. “I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”
86. “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
87. “I do the very best I know how-the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.”
88. “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
89. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”
90. “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”
91. “Be with a leader when he is right, stay with him when he is still right, but leave him when he is wrong.”
92. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
93. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
94. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis.”
95. “Love is the chain to lock a child to its parent.”
96. “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships.”
97. “I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”
98. “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.”
99. “I will prepare and someday my chance will come.”
100. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
101. “I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.”
102. “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
103. “I laugh because I must not cry, that is all, that is all.”
104. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
105. “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
106. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
107. “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
108. “I would rather be a little nobody, than to be an evil somebody.”
109. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.”
110. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
111. “Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing.”
112. “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
113. “I am slow to learn and slow to forget that which I have learned.”
114. “You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry.”
115. “Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it.”
116. “Whatever you are, be a good one.”
Conclusion
Abraham Lincoln’s inspirational quotes continue to resonate because they speak to universal truths about perseverance, integrity, and leadership. His simple yet profound statements encourage us to face challenges with courage, to value friendship and character, and to remain hopeful about the future. Whether you are seeking motivation in difficult times or guidance in your personal growth, these 116 quotes provide timeless wisdom that can inspire positive change. Embracing Lincoln’s insights can help us all strive to be better, do better, and lead with purpose.
