Book Quotes
Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.
"Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all."— Abraham Lincoln
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Meaning of this quote
Reading reveals that supposedly original ideas often have a history.
Key takeaway:
Explore earlier thinking before claiming a discovery is entirely new.
Origin of the quote
The Lincoln Story Book (1907), collected by Henry L. Williams; section The Use of Books.
Who actually said this?
The collection attributes the remark to recollection by an Illinois clergyman; a retrospective anecdote, not a Lincoln-authored text.
Source:
The Lincoln Story Book
