--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were so many odd, strange things…" description: "\"There were so many odd, strange things about Abraham Lincoln that I think nobody knew how to pigeonhole him.\" — Steven Spielberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-ab_255214.jpg" --- # There were so many odd, strange things about Abraham… ![“There were so many odd, strange things about Abraham Lincoln that I think nobody knew how to pigeonhole him.” quote by Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-ab_255214.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-ab_255214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-ab_255214.jpg) > “There were so many odd, strange things about Abraham Lincoln that I think nobody knew how to pigeonhole him.” [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lincoln defied simple categorization, showing complex, contradictory traits that resist easy labeling. **In simple terms:** Lincoln was too complex to fit into one box. Key Takeaway Embrace nuanced understandings of people. Themes complexity identity perception Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - historical study Key Concepts psychology historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do you avoid pigeonholing others? - What benefits come from seeing complexity? A Different Perspective Labels can oversimplify and obscure truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) [Abraham lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham-lincoln/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lincoln/) [Lincoln Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lincoln-think-2529811/) [Odd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odd/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Strange things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-things/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-abraham-2529812/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I've just always had a personal fascination with the myth of Abraham Lincoln. And once you start to read about him and the Civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-ve-just-always-had-a-personal-fascination-with-the-myth-of-abraham/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Everybody faces obstacles. And I looked to people who had been through many to succeed in life. 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And I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-was-fifteen-or-sixteen-i-was-in-high-school-i-was-spending-a-summer/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [You know, I don't really do that much looking inside me when I'm working on a project. Whatever I am becomes what that film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/you-know-i-don-t-really-do-that-much-looking-inside-me-when-i-m/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Casting sometimes is fate and destiny more than skill and talent, from a director's point of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/casting-sometimes-is-fate-and-destiny-more-than-skill-and-talent-from/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [The costume the actors wear and if they're in stylized makeup and wigs in a live-action movie let's say, in a big costume drama,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/the-costume-the-actors-wear-and-if-they-re-in-stylized-makeup-and/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I didn't read reviews earlier in my career, but I read them now as I'm older. I read them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-didn-t-read-reviews-earlier-in-my-career-but-i-read-them-now-as-i-m/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Whatever affect any of my films have on audiences, I just kind of stop at the door. I make them and I just don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/whatever-affect-any-of-my-films-have-on-audiences-i-just-kind-of-stop/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [ I've kept the people who've been in my career who I feel are my family. Kathy \[Kennedy\] had been with me since 1978. Janusz… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-ve-kept-the-people-who-ve-been-in-my-career-who-i-feel-are-my/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Desperate times require desperate measures. What Lincoln and the Lobbyist for the Amendment and the Manager of the Amendment and himself, what they did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/desperate-times-require-desperate-measures-what-lincoln-and-the/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) [Explore all 319 Steven Spielberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) ## 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/) > [“Whatever you are, be a good one.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [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/) [Browse all 484 Abraham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There were so many odd, strange things about Abraham Lincoln that I think nobody knew how to pigeonhole him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Spielberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-about-abraham-lincoln-that-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abraham" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-about-abraham-lincoln-that-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-ab_255214.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-ab_255214.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-ab_255214.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There were so many odd, strange things about Abraham Lincoln that I think nobody knew how to pigeonhole him.” — Steven Spielberg", "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": "Steven Spielberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There were so many odd, strange...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-about-abraham-lincoln-that-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/there-were-so-many-odd-strange-things-about-abraham-lincoln-that-i/#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 } } ] } ```