--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I cannot bring myself to believe that any…" description: "\"I cannot bring myself to believe that any human being lives who would do me any harm.\" — Abraham Lincoln" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/abraham-lincoln-88_believe_i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-an_1097732.png" --- # I cannot bring myself to believe that any human being… ![“I cannot bring myself to believe that any human being lives who would do me any harm.” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/abraham-lincoln-88_believe_i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-an_1097732.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/abraham-lincoln-88_believe_i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-an_1097732.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/abraham-lincoln-88_believe_i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-an_1097732.png) > “I cannot bring myself to believe that any human being lives who would do me any harm.” [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Belief in humanity’s capacity for kindness despite potential for harm. **In simple terms:** Trust in human goodness. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy. Themes humanity trust compassion Mood hopeful reflective Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - Community building - conflict mediation - personal relationships Key Concepts Moral philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster trust? - What limits our belief in others? A Different Perspective Human nature includes both good and evil. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) ## Related quotes > [In these years we are witnessing the gigantic spectacle of innumerable human lives wandering about lost in their own labyrinths, through not having anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/in-these-years-we-are-witnessing-the-gigantic-spectacle-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [Should my administration prove to be a very wicked one...or a very foolish one, if you, the people, are true to yourselves and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/should-my-administration-prove-to-be-a-very-wicked-one-or-a-very/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. So while we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-don-t-believe-in-a-law-to-prevent-a-man-from-getting-rich-it-would/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The price of clothes may be low, but they are paid for with human lives,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hamnett/the-price-of-clothes-may-be-low-but-they-are-paid-for-with-human-lives/) [Katharine Hamnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hamnett/) > [The human being who acts is the human being who lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strasberg/the-human-being-who-acts-is-the-human-being-who-lives/) [Lee Strasberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strasberg/) > [I'm not scared to speak about what I believe in, especially when it comes to human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-consani/i-m-not-scared-to-speak-about-what-i-believe-in-especially-when-it/) [Alex Consani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-consani/) > [The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-essential-act-of-war-is-destruction-not-necessarily-of-human/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Only when I save the lives of others do I truly feel as though I am human. Do you only feel that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroya-oku/only-when-i-save-the-lives-of-others-do-i-truly-feel-as-though-i-am/) [Hiroya Oku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroya-oku/) > [...many vivisectors still claim that what they do helps save human lives. They are Iying. The truth is that animal experiments kill people, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-coleman/many-vivisectors-still-claim-that-what-they-do-helps-save-human-lives/) Vernon Coleman > [Human lives are too short to waste in trivialities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/human-lives-are-too-short-to-waste-in-trivialities/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Unless we give part of ourselves away, unless we can live with other people and understand them and help them, we are missing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-taylor/unless-we-give-part-of-ourselves-away-unless-we-can-live-with-other/) [Harold Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-taylor/) > [Kim Jong-un and the regime don't just oppress - they play with human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/kim-jong-un-and-the-regime-don-t-just-oppress-they-play-with-human/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [ “They \[human lives\] are composed like music. Guided by his sense of beauty, an individual transforms a fortuitious occurrence (Beethoven’s music, death under a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/they-human-lives-are-composed-like-music-guided-by-his-sense-of/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Do you know who Karl Marx is? He is this strange little man, long dead, who lived his narrow little life, and somehow managed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anchee-min/do-you-know-who-karl-marx-is-he-is-this-strange-little-man-long-dead/) [Anchee Min](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anchee-min/) > [“Here, just below the Earth’s summit, there are towns and villages, a tangle of human lives, in the shadow of Arctic eschatology.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moss/here-just-below-the-earth-s-summit-there-are-towns-and-villages-a/) Sarah Moss ## More by Abraham Lincoln > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If you wish to be a lawyer, attach no consequence to the place you are in, or the person you are with; but get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-you-wish-to-be-a-lawyer-attach-no-consequence-to-the-place-you-are/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [As we keep or break the Sabbath Day we nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope by which man rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/as-we-keep-or-break-the-sabbath-day-we-nobly-save-or-meanly-lose-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Tell the truth and you won't have so much to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/tell-the-truth-and-you-won-t-have-so-much-to-remember/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [With high hope for the future, no prediction is ventured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/with-high-hope-for-the-future-no-prediction-is-ventured/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails under which laborers can strike when they want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-am-glad-to-see-that-a-system-of-labor-prevails-under-which-laborers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't like that man. I must get to know him better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-don-t-like-that-man-i-must-get-to-know-him-better/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all; and to the young, it comes with bitterest agony because it takes them unawares.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-this-sad-world-of-ours-sorrow-comes-to-all-and-to-the-young-it/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The man does not live who is more devoted to peace than I am. None who would do more to preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-man-does-not-live-who-is-more-devoted-to-peace-than-i-am-none-who/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) [Explore all 1,437 Abraham Lincoln quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I cannot bring myself to believe that any human being lives who would do me any harm.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Abraham Lincoln" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-any-human-being-lives-who-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-any-human-being-lives-who-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/abraham-lincoln-88_believe_i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-an_1097732.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/abraham-lincoln-88_believe_i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-an_1097732.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/abraham-lincoln-88_believe_i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-an_1097732.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I cannot bring myself to believe that any human being lives who would do me any harm.” — Abraham Lincoln", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Abraham Lincoln", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I cannot bring myself to believe...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-any-human-being-lives-who-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-cannot-bring-myself-to-believe-that-any-human-being-lives-who-would/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```