Before you give up hope, turn back and read the attacks that were made on Lincoln.

Bruce Barton (1886–1967), an American advertising executive, writer, and later U.S. congressman, frequently used Abraham Lincoln as a model of perseverance under public criticism. The remark is typically cited as a piece of encouragement: when contemporary setbacks or hostile commentary feel overwhelming, one should recall how harshly Lincoln was attacked during his rise and presidency—yet endured to become a revered national figure. Barton’s broader public persona blended business-style motivational rhetoric with historical exempla, and Lincoln was one of his recurring touchstones for resilience and long-term perspective.

The quote urges perspective and stamina. Barton’s point is not that criticism is pleasant or fair, but that even leaders later judged “great” were once mocked, denounced, and doubted in real time. By “turn back and read the attacks,” he recommends a concrete antidote to despair: historical evidence that reputations and outcomes are not settled by the loudness of present hostility. The line reframes discouragement as a predictable stage in meaningful work, implying that persistence—rather than immediate approval—is often the condition for eventual achievement or vindication.