Original artwork, not a still
Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say, for one, that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow-men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Lincoln says his greatest ambition is to be truly esteemed by others. He wants that esteem to come only from making himself worthy of it. It's a candidate's pledge that respect should follow real worth, not the other way round.
Context reviewed
