A Quote by Abraham Lincoln

Few can be induced to labor exclusively for posterity - Posterity has done nothing for us

Abraham Lincoln

Quote Topics

Done Few Labor Nothing Posterity Us

Quote Author

Abraham Lincoln
American - President
February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865

Few can be induced to labor exclusively for posterity; and none will do it enthusiastically. Posterity has done nothing for us; and theorize on it as we may, practically we shall do very little for it, unless we are made to think we are at the same time doing something for ourselves.

Abraham Lincoln

Sir, very few people reach posterity. Who amongst us may arrive at that destination I presume not to vaticinate. Posterity is a most limited assembly. Those gentlemen who reach posterity are not much more numerous than the planets.

Benjamin Disraeli

Why should we put ourselves out of our way to do anything for posterity? For what has posterity ever done for us?

Boyle Roche

Why should I care about posterity? What's posterity ever done for me?

Groucho Marx

As though there were a tie And obligation to posterity. We get them, bear them, breed, and nurse: What has posterity done for us. That we, lest they their rights should lose, Should trust our necks to gripe of noose?

John Trumbull

American society was economically ill-run in the 1980s. Our society has been on a consumption binge. If the American people had a town meeting and said, 'What do we care about posterity? Posterity hasn't done anything for us; we're going to whoop it up now,' that is a rational judgment. But nobody ever did that.

Paul Samuelson

We are always doing something for posterity, but I would fain see posterity do something for us.

Joseph Addison

The present Constitution, with a few alterations of a trifling nature, is just as good as we want; and if it is sustained on this land of Joseph, it will be done by us and our posterity.

Brigham Young

The thing with all the Founding Fathers, one of the most common words they used was 'posterity.' They were constantly referring to posterity.

Ron Chernow

What artists call posterity is the posterity of the work of art.

Marcel Proust

The Constitution of the United States was made not merely for the generation that then existed, but for posterity- unlimited, undefined, endless, perpetual posterity.

Henry Clay

Men of genius are not to be analysed by commonplace rules. The rest of us who have been or are leaders, more commonplace in our quality, will do well to remember two things. One is never to forget posterity when devising a policy. The other is never to think of posterity when making a speech.

Robert Menzies

Posterity alone rightly judges kings. Posterity alone has the right to accord or withhold honors.

Napoleon Bonaparte

I regard posterity as vulgar as success. I don't trust posterity. I don't think what's good is necessarily recognized in the long run. Too many good writers have disappeared.