Abraham lincoln Quote by Jonathan Safran Foer
““Historians tell a story about Abraham Lincoln, that while returning to Washington from Springfield, he forced his entire party to stop to help some small birds he saw in distress. When chided by the others, he responded, quite plainly, “I could not have slept to-night if I had left those poor creatures on the ground and not restored them to their mother.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Book of Unknown Americans” by Jonathan Safran Foer, 2008
Lincoln’s compassion for small creatures reflects a moral duty to act on empathy, even when inconvenient.
In simple terms: Compassion drives action despite inconvenience.
Key Takeaway
Act on empathy, no matter how small.
Themes
compassion
ethics
leadership
empathy
responsibility
Mood
inspirational
reflective
Type
ethical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- political leadership
- personal decision
- environmental stewardship
- community service
Key Concepts
moral duty
animal welfare
humanity
Questions to Reflect On
- What small act of kindness have you ignored?
- How does empathy shape leadership?
A Different Perspective
May prioritize larger issues over minor acts of kindness.
![“If you make a determination that [story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac] is not historical, do you throw it away? I don't think we can say whether it's precisely, scientifically historical.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/505/elie-wiesel-341_abraham_if-you-make-a-determination-that-story-o_831812.jpg)
![“My movies more often are told through pictures, not words. But in this case, the pictures took second position to the incredible words of Abraham Lincoln and his presence [...] I was less interested in an outpouring of imagery than in letting the most human moment of this story evolve before us.” quote by Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be7/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_my-movies-more-often-are-told-through-pi_136993.jpg)
