Adopted Quote by Abraham Lincoln
“Persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should be adopted to influence the conduct of men. The opposite course would be a reversal of human nature, which is God's decree and can never be reversed.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Unknown (attributed)
Gentle, modest persuasion aligns with human nature; forceful tactics clash with divine order and are ineffective.
In simple terms: Soft influence works better than force.
Key Takeaway
Use humility to persuade.
Themes
communication
ethics
leadership
Mood
thoughtful
strategic
Type
inspirational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- team management
- political negotiation
- conflict resolution
- teaching
Key Concepts
persuasion
human nature
divine order
Questions to Reflect On
- When is gentle persuasion insufficient?
- How can you balance firmness with humility?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue assertiveness is sometimes necessary.
![“[Only by] the good influence of our conduct may we bring salvation in human affairs; or like a fatal comet we may bring destruction in our train.” quote by Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e68/desiderius-erasmus-3351_affair_only-by-the-good-influence-of-our-conduc_690287.jpg)
![“The top two for me are Spotlight and The Revenant [movies]. Everything says The Revenant, but Spotlight is special. I think this movie would have been a lot more jumpy and fast-faced if anyone else had done it. This movie is very unassuming in how powerful it is. It very calmly, and very cooly…” quote by Bun B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1a1/bun-b-10711_done_the-top-two-for-me-are-spotlight-and-the_576258.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
