I say try. If we never try, we shall never succeed.

Abraham Lincoln, letter to McClellan

Philosophy

Why it matters

The idea in context

From Lincoln’s October 13, 1862 letter to General George B. McClellan, written in the pressure of the Civil War. The sentence is practical command language: movement may fail, but refusal to try guarantees failure before battle begins.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Denemek derim. Hiç denemezsek, asla başaramayız.
Abraham Lincoln, McClellan’a mektup

Lincoln’ün 13 Ekim 1862’de General George B. McClellan’a yazdığı, İç Savaş baskısı altındaki mektuptan gelir. Cümle pratik bir komuta dilidir: hareket etmek başarısız olabilir, ama denemeyi reddetmek savaşa başlamadan yenilgiyi garanti eder.

Source trail

Read beyond the card.

Batch 2A 2026-07-05: source verified in Lincoln letter to George B. McClellan, October 13, 1862.

Background reading: Abraham LincolnAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
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