Betrayed in Court, Victorious in Life: The Story of Abraham Lincoln

You can act like the whole world is against you and play the victim, or you can choose to upgrade yourself when you are faced with new challenges, the choice is always yours.

In 1831, Abraham Lincoln was invited by Edwin Stanton to be part of the lawyers defending an inventor, Cyrus McCormick. Lincoln had been recommended because they needed a local lawyer to be part of the team. The team had a low opinion about Lincoln, but they still went ahead with him.

Lincoln was contacted and all plans for him to be part of the team was formalized. A day to appear in court was fixed. Few days before the date, the venue for the proceedings was changed from Cincinnati to Chicago. Lincoln was substituted with another local lawyer. No one communicated this to Lincoln.

Lincoln prepared his arguments and appeared in court only to hear that the venue has been changed. He travelled to the new venue only to hear that he has been substituted. With his arguments in hand, Lincoln sat through the whole case just listening. We don’t have any document showing whether Lincoln was angry at that particular moment, but it is fair to assume he was.

Any of us would have considered this to be a betrayal. We could have returned home with anger against Edwin and the world. And we would be justified. But not Lincoln.

What was remarkable was what Lincoln did after the proceedings. By watching the proceedings, Lincoln learned how different he was used to arguing in the back country and how city lawyers argued. He realized that he hadn’t reached his peak, and that in fact, he truly was not the best. He returned home with the resolve to do better. He went back to learning and developing himself. He read more. He learned more. He practiced more. He grew.

The results became apparent. Overtime, Lincoln became more successful in his practice. Lincoln’s reputation increased. He was known far and wide

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Eventually he became the President of the United States. His oratory was part of his advantage, instrumental in making him a President.

To crown it all, when Lincoln became President, the United States entered a Civil War. Lincoln needed a capable Secretary of War. Guess who Abraham Lincoln appointed as Secretary of War? Edwin Stanton. The same man who dismissed him many years back. When Lincoln was attacked, Edwin Stanton was one of those who rushed to be with the dying President. On seeing him, Edwin Stanton began to weep. Stanton had a reputation for being a cold man, a man who never showed any emotion. But on this day, he could not hold it. He wept. After Lincoln died, Stanton said “Now, he belongs to the ages”. He had come to appreciate this great man. He had come to see that Lincoln was indeed one of the greatest people who walked this earth. During his lifetime, Lincoln did not argue to prove that, rather he just kept working on himself until it became apparent to everyone including those who dismissed him earlier.

Takeaway

You can act like the whole world is against you and play the victim, or you can choose to upgrade yourself when you are faced with new challenges, the choice is always yours.