9 Popular Quotes Commonly Misattributed to Abe Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln said (and wrote) many inspiring things during his life and presidency. However, in the decades and centuries following his death, many quotes have been wrongly attributed and disseminated in various publications, with the Internet spurring it all on. Here are nine quotes you thought were by Honest Abe, but aren’t.
Lincoln
“Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
“You can’t build a little guy up by tearing a big guy down.”
Originally written by Rev. William J. H. Boetcker, who was published in a pamphlet alongside Abraham Lincoln quotations in 1916
Whatever you are, be a good one.”
First attributed to Lincoln about 80 years following his death in a compendium of inspiring quotations, credit for this quote should actually go elsewhere.
Here I stand-warts and all.”
President George H.W. Bush attributed this quote to Abraham Lincoln in 1988. In reality, it was a mash-up of two other famous people’s phrases: “Here I stand,” part of Martin Luther’s popular phrase, “I can do no other,” and, “warts and All” attributed to Oliver Cromwell.
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
This quote is often attributed to Winston Churchill as well as Lincoln, but was first found in a 1953 book on public speaking where it wasn’t credited at all
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
This is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but there is no evidence to back it up
- It is also attributed to Mark Twain, though there is little evidence for this
Abraham Lincoln on Hustle
“Great things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
“You can’t fool all the people all the time.”
No evidence exists that suggests Lincoln said this quote himself.
- The quote wasn’t attributed to Lincoln until 1886 in an article in the Springfield Globe-Republic, and was widely disseminated after that
- It is unclear if it was ever said by him himself.
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