Life Quote by Abraham Lincoln

by Roger
(Salt Lake City, UT, USA)

Picture of Abraham Lincoln

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt".

--Abraham Lincoln

In my younger years, I was very vocal in my opinion on everything. I thought I knew everything and I had done everything.

In most cases, no one wanted to hear what I had to say because I was just the office idiot. I was first to point out all the problem areas but I gave no solutions to correct any of them.

An elderly co-worker approached me one day and parted some of his wisdom on me. He told me that a great man named Abraham Lincoln once said, "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

I had no idea what he was talking about so I continued on being myself. It took about ten years for me to fully understand that I was just part of the problem and it was time to become part of the solution.

Now I understand that what I have to say is important and can be a more powerful tool when I chose the right time and the right place to speak. This Abraham Lincoln quote has helped make this point more clear to me.