Inspirations

Adapted from John McManamy's essay, Lincoln and His Depressions

Abraham Lincoln experienced unremitting depression throughout his adult life. He never overcame it. He never rose above it. His life was one long unceasing litany of despair. At times, he completely gave in to his condition. He would fail to get out of bed. He would behave very strangely and alarm his friends and associates.  "I am now the most miserable man living," Lincoln said at 31 years of age. "Whether I shall ever be better I can not tell."

In Lincoln's depressions, the illness is visible in its full destructiveness.  It nearly succeeded in cutting short the life of a promising young man, and it certainly made the rest of his existence miserable. This is the side of depression with which many can unfortunately identify. But we also see an aspect to his depressions that equally resonates – how suffering can strengthen us, ennoble us, and embolden us, often to achieve the impossible.

Our sense of achievement need not be the same as Lincoln's, nor for that matter what our families may expect of us. It is simply enough that we survive from day to day with the kind of grace that is used to define courage.

Would you like to know more about Abraham Lincoln's struggle with depression?