--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham…" description: "\"“Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln”\" — Rriiver Nyile" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/rriiver-nyile-39572_abraham_whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-l_25880.jpg" --- # Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln ![“Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln” quote by Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/rriiver-nyile-39572_abraham_whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-l_25880.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/rriiver-nyile-39572_abraham_whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-l_25880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/rriiver-nyile-39572_abraham_whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-l_25880.jpg) > ““Whatever you are, be a good one.”   Abraham Lincoln”” [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages striving for excellence in one's role rather than focusing on status. **In simple terms:** Excellence over identity. Key Takeaway Be the best version of yourself. Themes self-improvement integrity excellence humility Mood motivational inspirational Type advice maxim When to use this quote - career development - leadership - education - personal growth Key Concepts personal responsibility character Practical Applications - coaching - mentorship Questions to Reflect On - What does being 'good' mean to you? - How can you measure improvement in your current role? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody faces obstacles. And I looked to people who had been through many to succeed in life. 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/) > [In the South, there was absence of any leadership corresponding in breadth and courage to that of Abraham Lincoln.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/in-the-south-there-was-absence-of-any-leadership-corresponding-in/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Abraham Lincoln truly inspired me. It wasn't just the freeing of the slaves, he kept the Union together. Some people even forget that today.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/abraham-lincoln-truly-inspired-me-it-wasn-t-just-the-freeing-of-the/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [That was the miracle of Abraham Lincoln, politician. He pursued the high purpose of moving justice forward via the low arts of patronage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-klein/that-was-the-miracle-of-abraham-lincoln-politician-he-pursued-the/) [Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-klein/) > [George Washington sets the nation on its democratic path. Abraham Lincoln preserves it. Franklin Roosevelt sees the nation through depression and war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/george-washington-sets-the-nation-on-its-democratic-path-abraham/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Are there not thousands who have loved virtue who did not accept Jesus Christ in any supernatural or miraculous fashion, who, if they knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenkin-lloyd-jones/are-there-not-thousands-who-have-loved-virtue-who-did-not-accept/) [Jenkin Lloyd Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenkin-lloyd-jones/) > [No man made great by death offers more hope to lowly pride than does Abraham Lincoln; for while living he was himself so simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-man-made-great-by-death-offers-more-hope-to-lowly-pride-than-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Certainly in the Capitol you do get moments were you sort of take a deep breath and think of all the historic figures who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-yoder/certainly-in-the-capitol-you-do-get-moments-were-you-sort-of-take-a/) [Kevin Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-yoder/) > [ I don't \[even\] know the number of books on Abraham Lincoln. Ten thousand, twelve thousand? I have seen various numbers. It seems like every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-foner/i-don-t-even-know-the-number-of-books-on-abraham-lincoln-ten-thousand/) [Eric Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-foner/) > [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/) > [Abraham Lincoln suggested never presume to know what God's will is, and I would never presume to know God's will or to speak God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/abraham-lincoln-suggested-never-presume-to-know-what-god-s-will-is/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [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/) > [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/) > [There's no one who I believe has ever captured the soul of America more profoundly than Abraham Lincoln has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-s-no-one-who-i-believe-has-ever-captured-the-soul-of-america/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Rriiver Nyile > [“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/) > [“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/people-are-just-as-happy-as-they-make-up-their-minds-to-be-abraham/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/books-serve-to-show-a-man-that-those-original-thoughts-of-his-aren-t-2/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“A farmer had a vicious bull that took after anybody who tried to cross the field. One day a neighbor climbed the fence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/a-farmer-had-a-vicious-bull-that-took-after-anybody-who-tried-to/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“Lincoln found himself in a stifling courtroom one hot summer day, pleading his client’s case. The opposing lawyer, in a concession to the oppressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/lincoln-found-himself-in-a-stifling-courtroom-one-hot-summer-day/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/when-you-reach-the-end-of-your-rope-tie-a-knot-and-hang-on-abraham/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.” …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/my-concern-is-not-whether-god-is-on-our-side-my-greatest-concern-is/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“12.       “Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/12-whenever-i-hear-anyone-arguing-for-slavery-i-feel-a-strong-impulse/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“And in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/and-in-the-end-it-is-not-the-years-in-your-life-that-count-it-s-the/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/america-will-never-be-destroyed-from-the-outside-if-we-falter-and-2/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) [Explore all 11 Rriiver Nyile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) ## More Abraham quotes > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Hebron is a bone of contention between Israeli settlers and the Palestinians in part because Abraham is buried there, in the Tomb of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/hebron-is-a-bone-of-contention-between-israeli-settlers-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Never you look down on your Abraham because of your Sarah because the blessing is not in the womb of Sarah but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/never-you-look-down-on-your-abraham-because-of-your-sarah-because-the/) [Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/) > [Moses was a great leader, right? But he wasn't a great communicator. And so God sent him Aaron so he could, let's say, communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/moses-was-a-great-leader-right-but-he-wasn-t-a-great-communicator-and/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [“king of Heshbon. 6 b Moses, the servant of the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/king-of-heshbon-6-b-moses-the-servant-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [It was psychobabbler Abraham Maslow who wrote of the phenomena of self-actualization. What Maslow failed to grasp is that reaching true self-actualization can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/it-was-psychobabbler-abraham-maslow-who-wrote-of-the-phenomena-of/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. Katika Biblia, Musa aliitwa mjinga alipokiuka amri ya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-hutumia-watu-wajinga-na-wapumbavu-kufanya-mambo-makubwa-katika/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [“9. Abraham’s death (25:1 – 11) After Sarah’s death, Abraham took another wife, Keturah. Abraham was a rejuvenated old man and continued to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sailhamer/9-abraham-s-death-25-1-11-after-sarah-s-death-abraham-took-another/) [John H. Sailhamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sailhamer/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Everybody faces obstacles. And I looked to people who had been through many to succeed in life. 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/) > [Someone asked me...how it felt and I was reminded of a story that a fellow townsman of ours used to tell--Abraham Lincoln. They asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-asked-me-how-it-felt-and-i-was-reminded-of-a-story-that-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [American foreign policy and military might have opened an opportunity for the Gospel in the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/american-foreign-policy-and-military-might-have-opened-an-opportunity/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [What began as a bitter dispute over Union and States' Rights, ended as a struggle over the meaning of freedom in America. At Gettysburg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/what-began-as-a-bitter-dispute-over-union-and-states-rights-ended-as/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) [Browse all 484 Abraham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whatever you are, be a good one.”   Abraham Lincoln”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rriiver Nyile" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abraham" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/rriiver-nyile-39572_abraham_whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-l_25880.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/rriiver-nyile-39572_abraham_whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-l_25880.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/rriiver-nyile-39572_abraham_whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-l_25880.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln” — Rriiver Nyile", "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": "Rriiver Nyile", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Whatever you are, be a good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/#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 } } ] } ```