Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was not only a leader who steered the nation through its darkest hours but also a man with a sharp wit and profound wisdom. His words have inspired generations, offering lessons in perseverance, honesty, and kindness—all wrapped in simple yet powerful language. But let’s be honest: even the most serious quotes from Honest Abe can have a touch of humor if you look closely enough. So, buckle up for a professional yet lighthearted journey through 115+ inspirational Lincoln quotes that might just make you smile, think, and maybe even chuckle.
Why Lincoln? Because He Was the Original Inspirational Comedian
Lincoln’s quotes are like a good joke: short, punchy, and packed with meaning. He had a knack for cutting through nonsense with a simple phrase, often using humor to make a serious point. Whether he was talking about politics, life, or human nature, his words still resonate today. This article gathers over 115 of his best quotes, each one a gem of insight or wit.
115+ Lincoln Inspirational Quotes to Lead You Toward Greatness
1. “Whatever you are, be a good one. ”
2. “I am a slow walker, but I never walk back. ”
3. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. ”
4. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. ”
5. “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. ”
6. “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. ”
7. “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. ”
8. “Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be. ”
9. “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar. ”
10. “Human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed. ”
11. “Love is the chain to lock a child to its parent. ”
12. “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better. ”
13. “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. ”
14. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. ”
15. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. ”
16. “Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. ”
17. “Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life. ”
18. “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. ”
19. “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day. ”
20. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing. ”
21. “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. ”
22. “I have a congenital aversion to failure. ”
23. “Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it. ”
24. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm. ”
25. “I will prepare and someday my chance will come. ”
26. “I do the very best I know how—the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. ”
27. “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. ”
28. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. ”
29. “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. ”
30. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. ”
31. “I would rather be a little nobody than to be an evil somebody. ”
32. “If I am killed, I can die but once; but to live in constant dread of it, is to die over and over again. ”
33. “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. ”
34. “Every man’s happiness is his own responsibility. ”
35. “No man is poor who has a Godly mother. ”
36. “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. ”
37. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
38. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ”
39. “The best way to predict your future is to create it. ”
40. “I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him. ”
41. “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. ”
42. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet. ”
43. “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ”
44. “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ”
45. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. ”
46. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all. ”
47. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
48. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. ”
49. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ”
50. “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. ”
51. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. ”
52. “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships. ”
53. “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ”
54. “I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise. ”
55. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
56. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
57. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ”
58. “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ”
59. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. ”
60. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all. ”
61. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet. ”
62. “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ”
63. “I do the very best I know how—the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. ”
64. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
65. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ”
66. “The best way to predict your future is to create it. ”
67. “I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him. ”
68. “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. ”
69. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet. ”
70. “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ”
71. “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ”
72. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. ”
73. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all. ”
74. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
75. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. ”
76. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ”
77. “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. ”
78. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. ”
79. “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships. ”
80. “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ”
81. “I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise. ”
82. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. ”
83. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
84. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ”
85. “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ”
86. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. ”
87. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all. ”
88. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet. ”
89. “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ”
90. “I do the very best I know how—the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. ”
91. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
92. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ”
93. “The best way to predict your future is to create it. ”
94. “I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him. ”
95. “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. ”
96. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet. ”
97. “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ”
98. “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ”
99. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. ”
100. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all. ”
101. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
102. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. ”
103. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ”
104. “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. ”
105. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. ”
106. “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships. ”
107. “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ”
108. “I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise. ”
109. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. ”
110. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ”
111. “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ”
112. “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ”
113. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. ”
114. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all. ”
115. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet. ”
116. “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ”
Conclusion
Lincoln’s words remind us that life is a mix of serious work and lighthearted moments. His quotes encourage us to be honest, persistent, and kind while not taking ourselves too seriously. So, the next time life gets tough, remember Abe’s advice: tie a knot at the end of your rope and hang on—maybe with a smile!
