“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” ―Misattributed to Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) The quote first appeared in 1914 in "The Syracuse Herald" newspaper #writerslift #life #authors #love #art #coffee #diary #write #books #amwriting #quotes #misattributed #abrahamlincoln #FrankCrane The line’s appeal is obvious: it reframes happiness as a deliberate practice rather than a passive result of circumstances. That’s motivational catnip, so it stuck, especially in self-help and newspaper columns of the early 20th century. But historically, it’s a misattribution: there’s no record of Lincoln writing or saying it, and its first documented print life is 1914, attributed to him by Crane, 50 years after Lincoln died. The earliest located appearance is in a New Year’s column by Dr. Frank Crane on January 1, 1914, in the Syracuse Herald: “Resolve to be happy. Remember Lincoln’s saying that ‘folks are usually about as happy as they make up their minds to be.’” Crane repeated variants in later pieces (e.g., 1916 in The Boston Globe), and the line spread widely; Dale Carnegie echoed it in 1937. Quote sleuths have found no primary Lincoln source; it appears Crane popularized it as a Lincoln quote without evidence.

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
―Misattributed to Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
The quote first appeared in 1914 in "The Syracuse Herald" newspaper

#writerslift #life #books #amwriting #quotes #misattributed #abrahamlincoln #FrankCrane