--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe it’s true that the people who live…" description: "\"“Maybe it’s true that the people who live through the times that become history’s pivotal points are those least likely to understand them. I wonder if..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/jean-hegland-17612_abraham-lincoln_maybe-it-s-true-that-the-people-who-live_2838283.jpg" --- # Maybe it’s true that the people who live through the times… ![“Maybe it’s true that the people who live through the times that become history’s pivotal points are those least likely to understand them. I wonder if Abraham Lincoln himself could have answered the inevitable test questions about the causes of the Civil War.” quote by Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/jean-hegland-17612_abraham-lincoln_maybe-it-s-true-that-the-people-who-live_2838283.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/jean-hegland-17612_abraham-lincoln_maybe-it-s-true-that-the-people-who-live_2838283.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/jean-hegland-17612_abraham-lincoln_maybe-it-s-true-that-the-people-who-live_2838283.jpg) > ““Maybe it’s true that the people who live through the times that become history’s pivotal points are those least likely to understand them. I wonder if Abraham Lincoln himself could have answered the inevitable test questions about the causes of the Civil War.”” [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical turning points are often misunderstood by those living through them; even leaders may lack answers. **In simple terms:** People in pivotal times struggle to understand them. Key Takeaway Seek perspective beyond the present. Themes history misunderstanding leadership Mood reflective curious Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - Education - policy making - personal reflection Key Concepts Temporal bias knowledge gaps Questions to Reflect On - How do we learn from history’s blind spots? - Can leaders truly predict outcomes? A Different Perspective Past events can be misinterpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“One of Lincoln’s neighbors told how he went to his door one day to determine why some children in the street were shouting. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/one-of-lincoln-s-neighbors-told-how-he-went-to-his-door-one-day-to/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-engle/there-are-moments-in-history-when-a-door-for-massive-change-opens-and/) [Lou Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-engle/) > [Abraham Lincoln went through 12 generals before he got Ulysses S. Grant. He had never done a Civil War before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/abraham-lincoln-went-through-12-generals-before-he-got-ulysses-s/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The fact that Abraham Lincoln ever, ever became President is either a freak accident of history... or destiny; God's providence to America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-oberst-jr/the-fact-that-abraham-lincoln-ever-ever-became-president-is-either-a/) [Bill Oberst Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-oberst-jr/) > [There were so many odd, strange things about Abraham Lincoln that I think nobody knew how to pigeonhole him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-about-abraham-lincoln-that-i/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I suppose I've been interested in Abraham Lincoln for almost as long as I can remember. 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It’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/tragedy-is-suffering-elevated-into-art-it-s-art-that-helps-humans/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“Humanism, he continued, leaning toward his colleagues with the zeal of his conviction even as he stumbled over his words, that holds as its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/humanism-he-continued-leaning-toward-his-colleagues-with-the-zeal-of/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“He knows a sweep of gratitude, soft as another voice, and so wide and deep he believes he might drown in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/he-knows-a-sweep-of-gratitude-soft-as-another-voice-and-so-wide-and/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“And humanism—that transcendent vision that spans centuries and religions in its celebration of reason, responsibility, art, and examined lives—has been tossed out like old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/and-humanism-that-transcendent-vision-that-spans-centuries-and/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“They do not die ignorant of either their own follies or of life’s worth. 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You.” Smiling”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/each-breeze-he-says-watching-the-ripple-of-the-bright-unfurling/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“It’s a physical urge, stronger than thirst or sex. Halfway back on the left side of my head there is a spot that longs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/it-s-a-physical-urge-stronger-than-thirst-or-sex-halfway-back-on-the/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [It's a physical urge, huger and stronger than thirst or sex. Halfway back on the left side of my head there is a spot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/it-s-a-physical-urge-huger-and-stronger-than-thirst-or-sex-halfway/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“In sooth, I know not why I am so sad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/in-sooth-i-know-not-why-i-am-so-sad/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“It is the size of the characters’ desires that helps to make a sad story a tragedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/it-is-the-size-of-the-characters-desires-that-helps-to-make-a-sad/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“Guys were first effigies, then urchins. But always male,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/guys-were-first-effigies-then-urchins-but-always-male/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [This body is yours. No one can ever take it from you, if only you will accept yourself, claim it again--your arms, your spine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/this-body-is-yours-no-one-can-ever-take-it-from-you-if-only-you-will/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) > [“We heard the United States had a new president, that she was arranging for a loan from the Commonwealth to bail us out. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hegland/we-heard-the-united-states-had-a-new-president-that-she-was-arranging/) [Jean Hegland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) [Explore all 36 Jean Hegland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hegland/) ## More Abraham lincoln quotes > [“If Abraham Lincoln were alive now, he'd roll over in his grave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-ford/if-abraham-lincoln-were-alive-now-he-d-roll-over-in-his-grave/) [Gerald Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-ford/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. 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Abraham Lincoln, born to a poor family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everybody-faces-obstacles-and-i-looked-to-people-who-had-been-through/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [“What is to be, will be, and no prayers of ours can arrest the decree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/what-is-to-be-will-be-and-no-prayers-of-ours-can-arrest-the-decree/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“If you attend a meeting of evolutionary biologists somewhere in America, you might be lucky and spot a tall, gray-whiskered, smiling man bearing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/if-you-attend-a-meeting-of-evolutionary-biologists-somewhere-in/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [Men like Abraham Lincoln recognized that if the slaveholders were not stopped, it would only be a question of time until they spread their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-cox-richardson/men-like-abraham-lincoln-recognized-that-if-the-slaveholders-were-not/) [Heather Cox Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-cox-richardson/) > [“Most people,” Abraham Lincoln said, “are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lickona/most-people-abraham-lincoln-said-are-about-as-happy-as-they-make-up/) [Thomas Lickona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lickona/) > [Abraham Lincoln did not contend that his actions were immune from Congressional correction; on the contrary, he specifically said he was acting beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lee-miller/abraham-lincoln-did-not-contend-that-his-actions-were-immune-from/) [William Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lee-miller/) > [I grew up in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Harden County, which is not too far from the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cameron/i-grew-up-in-elizabethtown-kentucky-harden-county-which-is-not-too/) [Daniel Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cameron/) > [“Abraham Lincoln struck off the chains of black Americans, but it was Lyndon Johnson who led them into voting booths, closed democracy’s sacred curtain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-caro/abraham-lincoln-struck-off-the-chains-of-black-americans-but-it-was/) [Robert A. Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-caro/) > [My movies more often are told through pictures, not words. But in this case, the pictures took second position to the incredible words of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/my-movies-more-often-are-told-through-pictures-not-words-but-in-this/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I must have missed school the day we learned about Abraham Lincoln being a vampire slayer...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-must-have-missed-school-the-day-we-learned-about-abraham-lincoln/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/abraham-lincoln-recognized-that-we-could-not-survive-as-a-free-land/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [My favorite thought about Abraham Lincoln is he believed in two things: loving one another and working together to make this world better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/my-favorite-thought-about-abraham-lincoln-is-he-believed-in-two/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) Browse all 238 Abraham lincoln quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Maybe it’s true that the people who live through the times that become history’s pivotal points are those least likely to understand them. 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