Quotable Quotes: Abraham Lincoln
Sunday, February 12th, 2012
Today is Lincoln’s birthday and I thought I would share some of his lesser know words.
However, I’m starting with a very well-known quote, because it’s a favorite of mine “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
Hedge funds are the ultimate expression of capitalism and the capitalist don’t seem to have changed much since Lincoln’s time, “These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people”
There is a reason that today’s discussions of corporate culture focus on the benefits of trust and smart managers would do well to embrace Lincoln’s approach, “The people when rightly and fully trusted will return the trust.”
And if trust isn’t something you’re big on you might rethink your position in the light of these words, “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
Lincoln said, “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing;” when hiring be sure not to mistake one for the other.
I’m often accused of being too blunt, although I do try and follow Lincoln’s advice, “Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.”
Finally, advice that was good for the thousand years before Lincoln said it and will be good for the thousand year after—if not longer, “Things may come to those who wait…but only the things left by those who hustle.”
Flickr image credit: USDAgov
“I haven’t committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.” –David Dinkins, New York City Mayor, answering accusations that he failed to pay his taxes. (No lie, just spin. Too bad it won’t work for the rest of us.)
