I agree that popular quotes can be used irrationally - a shield to hide behind instead of questioning what is actually best. However, sometimes they are simply good advice in some situations and bad advice in others. Can you not think of a class of scenarios in which Lincoln's advice is good advice?
True, context adds meaning to the quote.
I suppose it helps to add that my distaste stems from the usage of these quotes as blanket life-advice, without recognizing that they are situation-dependent.
I.e. I consider the quote in my original post a factor in the increase of perceived reluctance of people to ask questions, either in class or at work, for fear of seeming the fool.
A friend recently shared an image of Lincoln with the quote, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt."
Correcting that idea, I replied with the following: "Speak! Reveal your foolishness, and open yourself so that others may enlighten you and you can learn. Fear the false mantle of silence-as-wisdom; better to briefly be the vocal fool than forever the silent fool."
The experience led me to thinking that it might be fun, cathartic, andor a good mental exercise/reminder to translate our culture's more irrational memes into a more presentable package.
Post your own examples if you like, and if I think of/see more I'll post here.