About this quote

The line cuts through polite rationalizing and forces you to name the real cause, not hide behind clever stories. Abraham Lincoln demands that you stop dressing up failure with words and start fixing what’s broken. Use the idea to check whether action follows explanation: if not, cut the excuses and get to work.

When to use it

• When a team member repeatedly misses deadlines and offers long reasons, say: "I fear explanations explanatory of things explained" — then ask for a clear plan and timeline.
• If you find yourself rewriting goals instead of changing habits, use the line to call out avoidance and force a concrete action step for the week.
• At a meeting where problems get wrapped in jargon, speak up with the phrase to demand plain answers and a real solution, not more talk.
• When making personal excuses for not exercising or learning a skill, repeat the line to yourself and replace the explanation with one small, measurable action.