Lincoln’s Wit/Wisdom 355

During his long years as an attorney Lincoln’s ‘stories and jokes and, more important, his skills as a lawyer helped him fit in. Most of all, perhaps, Lincoln met the professional standards of manliness, and this despite the fact that he did not drink, gamble, or otherwise perform according to wider cultural conventions of the day. He was direct and unpretentious in his professional demeanor; he was both aggressive and courteous in his pursuit of courtroom victory.’

- Brian Dirck