Abraham Lincoln
Topic : Humility; cf. self-important, prideLincoln once got caught up in a situation where he wanted to please a politician, so he issued a command to transfer certain regiments. When the secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, received the order, he refused to carry it out. He said that the President was a fool. Lincoln was told what Stanton had said, and he replied, If Stanton said Im a fool, then I must be, for he is nearly always right. Ill see for myself. As the two men talked, the President quickly realized that his decision was a serious mistake, and without hesitation he withdrew it.