Question

First, please consider this "list of failures and successes" in the life of Abraham Lincoln. We're suggesting that one of Lincoln's greatest attributes was his ability to recover and learn from failure. The quality of perseverance seemed especially useful to Lincoln as he struggled with "melancholy" (what might now be called depression) Please read this related article by Joshua Wolf Shenk.

For Lincoln, learning how to persevere also meant learning how to adapt. Based on your reading of Shenk's article, please identify three of Lincoln's most successful adaptation strategies (skills, habits, or ways of thinking) that helped him use his struggle with depression to accomplish worthy goals.

links:

list of failures and successes

http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/education/failures.htm

Please read this related article by Joshua Wolf Shenk

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/10/lincolns-great-depression/304247/

please answer in paragraph form

Answer 1

The article discusses the struggle of Abraham Lincoln with "melancholy", which Shenk divides into three major stages- fear, engagement and transcendence. Throughout the article there are instances described where Lincoln goes under his skin and appears gloomy. But, on the outer front he is savvy, self-educated lawyer who has capacity for depth and wisdom. Lincoln had his own way to fight the demons of melancholy. Groomed with both humility and determination Lincoln made his way to leave the finest imprint in the history. Foremost by having sense of self (reality) i.e., he knew intensity of thought how often make a person hopeless and seek a drastic solution. But he also knew how special and grand an artful life can be. His "irrepressible desire" to live and achieve something, connecting his name with great events for mankind, kept him going. Secondly, the optimism for his views be it in political or personal issues drew him power from within. Be it his thought that moral and practical choices about slavery could be put off forever, or continuing struggle to realize an ideal, knowing that it could never be perfectly attained, he was sure that through  failures and plodding on with a vision of improvement only a satisfactory struggle of life can be won. Further, one of the most prominent characteristic that Lincoln had was to speak his frame of mind, express in meaningful way to friends and near ones about his distress. Many instances points towards this particular characteristic of Lincoln, where he openly accepted and talked about his wariness and doubt for himself and life. He would read, recite, and compose poetry on themes of death, despair, and human futility to vent out his despair and self-negation.These attributes helped Lincoln to look troubling reality straight in the eye also proved a great strength in overcoming his melancholy whenever it was needed.