Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is known for his wisdom, leadership, and insightful remarks. His quotes continue to inspire and motivate people around the world today. In this article, we explore some of his most famous quotes, divided into 10 unique categories that cover his thoughts on leadership, perseverance, freedom, and more. Whether you're seeking wisdom for leadership, life advice, or reflections on freedom, Lincoln's words offer timeless guidance. Below, we share 12 thought-provoking quotes under each category to help you understand the depth of Lincoln's insights.
Abraham Lincoln Leadership Quotes
- "The best way to predict your future is to create it." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Whatever you are, be a good one." – Abraham Lincoln
- "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Important principles may, and must, be inflexible." – Abraham Lincoln
- "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side." – Abraham Lincoln
- "In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Freedom Quotes
- "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Freedom is the last, best hope of earth." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The Union is much older than the Constitution." – Abraham Lincoln
- "A house divided against itself cannot stand." – Abraham Lincoln
- "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The nation will live on, the Republic will endure." – Abraham Lincoln
- "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it." – Abraham Lincoln
- "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The emancipation proclamation was the right step at the right time." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Humor Quotes
- "I am a slow walker, but I never walk back." – Abraham Lincoln
- "If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?" – Abraham Lincoln
- "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Common-looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I can’t spare this man. He fights." – Abraham Lincoln
- "When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees." – Abraham Lincoln
- "You may 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." – Abraham Lincoln
- "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I would rather be a little nobody, then to be an evil somebody." – Abraham Lincoln
- "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am not a good example of a man who doesn't speak." – Abraham Lincoln
- "What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Perseverance Quotes
- "The greatest thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I walk slowly, but I never walk backward." – Abraham Lincoln
- "It always seems impossible until it’s done." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am a slow walker, but I never walk back." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I do the very best I know how—the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end." – Abraham Lincoln
- "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses." – Abraham Lincoln
- "My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I never had a policy; I have just tried to do what seemed best each day as it came up." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The time will come when you will be able to look back on your struggles with pride." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Wisdom Quotes
- "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." – Abraham Lincoln
- "You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." – Abraham Lincoln
- "A fool is one who has not learned from history." – Abraham Lincoln
- "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true." – Abraham Lincoln
- "That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well." – Abraham Lincoln
- "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Whatever you are, be a good one." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Government Quotes
- "The best way to predict your future is to create it." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly." – Abraham Lincoln
- "That government is best which governs least." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The government’s job is to do the best it can with the resources it has." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Government’s duty is to make sure the people are treated equally and fairly." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The Union is much older than the Constitution." – Abraham Lincoln
- "A house divided against itself cannot stand." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Public opinion is everything." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The preservation of the Union is the primary goal." – Abraham Lincoln
- "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Family Quotes
- "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." – Abraham Lincoln
- "No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am a slow walker, but I never walk back." – Abraham Lincoln
- "My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act." – Abraham Lincoln
- "A friend is one who has the same enemies as you have." – Abraham Lincoln
- "It is not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships." – Abraham Lincoln
- "With malice toward none, with charity for all." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The happiest people are those who do the most for others." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Self-Reflection Quotes
- "It is not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am a slow walker, but I never walk back." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I do the very best I know how—the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end." – Abraham Lincoln
- "If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?" – Abraham Lincoln
- "In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The best way to predict your future is to create it." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The time will come when you will be able to look back on your struggles with pride." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The greatest thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Inspirational Quotes
- "I walk slowly, but I never walk backward." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am a slow walker, but I never walk back." – Abraham Lincoln
- "It always seems impossible until it’s done." – Abraham Lincoln
- "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The time will come when you will be able to look back on your struggles with pride." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Whatever you are, be a good one." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true." – Abraham Lincoln
- "I never had a policy; I have just tried to do what seemed best each day as it came up." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The best way to predict your future is to create it." – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Quotes on Equality
- "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Whatever you are, be a good one." – Abraham Lincoln
- "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The Union is much older than the Constitution." – Abraham Lincoln
- "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free." – Abraham Lincoln
- "A house divided against itself cannot stand." – Abraham Lincoln
- "We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The Emancipation Proclamation was the right step at the right time." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The nation will live on, the Republic will endure." – Abraham Lincoln
- "In this war, we will make a man out of a slave." – Abraham Lincoln
- "The government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." – Abraham Lincoln
- "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it." – Abraham Lincoln
Final words
Abraham Lincoln’s quotes continue to guide and inspire generations. His words remind us of the importance of perseverance, leadership, freedom, equality, and integrity. These timeless teachings resonate with all who are striving to make meaningful changes in their lives and in society. Lincoln's wisdom offers encouragement for those facing adversity and serves as a reminder that greatness is achieved not through power alone, but through compassion, fairness, and a deep sense of purpose. We can always find strength in his words, no matter the challenges we face. His legacy lives on through his powerful and relevant quotes that continue to shape the world.