While I was writing Rodger’s Top 5 for this month, I was pouring through quotations of American Presidents and administrations. My personal favorites are Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Two of them were self-made and the other, used his wealth to grow close to common men and nature. All redirected the trajectory of the United States at a critical moment in our history.
I’ve studied each of our presidents. Without question, Lincoln had the most challenging job. What makes a president tick? What allows them to do one of the most difficult jobs in the world? For President Carter, it was his deep lifelong Baptist faith. I think Reagan’s success came from personally realizing that his years in leadership of the Democratic party wasn’t yielding the life he wanted for himself or his associates. Teddy Roosevelt realized that many of his wealthy friends were more concerned with protecting their privileged life than the nation as a whole.
But Lincoln, with his simple early life and self-education, was an enigma to me. What was the philosophy of life that gave him the skills and strength to succeed? Some years ago, I came across one of his writings that helped me understand him.
With beliefs like these, how can you fail?
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.