Able Quote by Abraham Lincoln
“You may have a wen or a cancer upon your person and not be able to cut it out lest you bleed to death; but surely it is no way tocure it, to engraft it and spread it over your whole body.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Letter to Mrs. Lydia Bixby, 1864
Describes a disease that cannot be cured by removal, only by spreading throughout the body, illustrating futile attempts to fix problems by worsening them.
In simple terms: Trying to fix something by spreading it worsens the issue.
Key Takeaway
Avoid solutions that expand the problem.
Themes
health
medicine
problem solving
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- medical treatment
- public health policy
- personal crises
- organizational change
Key Concepts
disease spread
systemic failure
Questions to Reflect On
- Is there a problem you’re trying to fix by expanding it?
- What are the risks of a “solution” that spreads?
A Different Perspective
Sometimes removal is the only cure; spreading can be destructive.
![“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)
