Wisdom from the Past

During the past weeks I have been rummaging through many boxes of papers and clippings, collected over the past forty years, filing some, tossing others out and perplexed what to do with others. I was astonished by these prescient words of Abraham Lincoln spoken written over 160 years ago.


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS by Abraham Lincoln.

• You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

• You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

• You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

• You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

• You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

• You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

• You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

• You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

• You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independence.

• You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.