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Lincoln’s Secret Weapon (It Wasn’t Power)

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Feb 25, 2026

Guest

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author, reflects on Abraham Lincoln’s self-education and emotional discipline. She discusses his reading habits, humor, deep research, team-building with rivals, and practices of restraint and reflection. Short, vivid stories illuminate how character, study, and careful communication shaped his leadership.

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INSIGHT

Lincoln's Character Equaled His Achievements

Lincoln's character mattered as much as his achievements in restoring the Union.
Doris Kearns Goodwin found living with Lincoln through research made her feel like a better person and revealed his humane presence beyond policy.

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ANECDOTE

Shakespeare Comedy As Lincoln's Emotional Remedy

Lincoln used Shakespeare's comedies to 'whistle off sadness' and cheer his aides during the Civil War.
He read comedies aloud at night to shift focus from battlefield losses to laughter, preferring stories over whiskey.

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ADVICE

Go Get Your Own Education

Do take ownership of your education like Lincoln did by actively seeking knowledge rather than waiting for it.
He walked miles for books, carved sentences into wood, and treated reading as lifelong self-education after only one year of formal school.

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Why Lincoln Still Inspires

03:15 • 4min

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Lincoln's Use of Humor and Reading

06:50 • 2min

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Self-Education and Democratic Ambition

08:42 • 1min

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Lincoln's Deep Research Habits

09:56 • 1min

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Forming the Team of Rivals

11:01 • 2min

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Lincoln and Stoic-Like Self-Mastery

Daily Routines and Deep Work

How Doris Structures Research

18:33 • 3min

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Conversations with the Dead: Reading History

21:06 • 2min

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Lincoln's Character Traits of Leadership

23:30 • 1min

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The 'Man in Here' and Competence

24:36 • 4min

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Managing Temperament and Restraint

Compassion from Suffering

32:52 • 4min

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Pausing Before Punitive Action

37:21 • 3min

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Lincoln as a Careful Writer and Communicator

40:10 • 1min

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Sensing and Shaping Public Opinion

41:31 • 4min

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Media, Technology, and Leadership

45:23 • 2min

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How do you hold a country together when it’s tearing itself apart? In this episode, Ryan sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to talk about Abraham Lincoln’s self-education, his emotional discipline, and how he managed anger, ego, and public pressure without losing himself.

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author. Her latest #1 New York Times bestseller, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, is being adapted into a feature film, while her earlier works, Team of Rivals, The Bully Pulpit, and No Ordinary Time, have won some of the nation’s highest literary honors and inspired leaders worldwide. She has served as a White House Fellow to President Lyndon Johnson, produced acclaimed docuseries for the HISTORY Channel, and earned countless awards for her contributions to history and leadership.

Doris has a new book out called The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became Presidents in which she shares the different childhood experiences of Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lyndon B. Johnson, and how they each found their way to the presidency.

🎥 Watch Doris and Ryan talk on The Daily Stoic Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odu1vASkfNE

📚 Grab copies of Doris’ books Team of Rivals and Leadership at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com

👉 Follow Doris on Instagram @DorisKGoodwin and check out more of her work on her website doriskearnsgoodwin.com

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