Quotes By Benjamin Franklin (Page 3 of 4)

God grant, that not only the Love of Liberty, but a thorough Knowledge of the Rights of Man, may pervade all the Nations of the Earth, so that a Philosopher may set his Foot anywhere on its Surface, and say, 'This is my Country.'

Love and toothache have many cures, but none infallible, except possession and dispossession.

It is the duty of mankind on all suitable occasions to acknowledge their dependence on the Divine Being.

Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy.

It's better to swim in the sea below Than to swing in the air and feed the crow, Says jolly Ned Teach of Bristol.

To be thrown upon one's own resources is to be cast into the very lap of fortune; for our faculties then undergo a development and display an energy of which they were previosly unsusceptible.

Make the best use of both time and money. Add industry and frugal dealings if they pay very well and if you're free to it.

One today is worth two tomorrows. Lost time is never found again. Time is money. Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff that life is made of. You may delay, but time will not.

Time Like a petal in the wind Flows softly by As old lives are taken New ones begin A continual chain Which lasts throughout eternity Every life but a minute in time But each of equal importance.

In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride.

Eat few suppers, and you'll need few medicines.

Wouldst thou enjoy a long Life, a healthy Body, and a vigorous Mind, and be acquainted also with the wonderful Works of God? labour in the first place to bring thy Appetite into Subjection to Reason.

All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse.

Till we are uneasy in Rest, we can have no Desire to move, and without Desire of moving there can be no voluntary Motion.

Temperance puts wood on the fire, meal in the barrel, flour in the tub, money in the purse, credit in the country, contentment in the house, clothes on the back, and vigor in the body.

Religion I found to be without any tendency to inspire, promote, or confirm morality, serves principally to divide us and make us unfriendly to one another.

An infallible Remedy for the Tooth-ach, viz Wash the Root of an aching Tooth, in Elder Vinegar, and let it dry half an hour in the Sun; after which it will never ach more; Probatum est.

Take heed of the Vinegar of sweet Wine, and the Anger of Good-nature.

A spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar.

While the path to wealth is clearly marked, few are willing to adapt themselves to the modest discipline that the journey requires. Instead, most choose the shinier track of debt-driven consumption, which they find further along is covered in vines and thorns.

Twas Noah who first planted the vine
And mended his morals by drinking its wine.

Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried with fewer tensions and more tolerance.

The only time not wasted is wasted time.

Love well, whip well.

I am a mortal enemy to arbitrary government and unlimited power.

I think this Law, by which I am punished, is both unreasonable in itself, and particularly severe
Polly Baker.

Not to oversee workmen is to leave them your purse open.

Disdain the chain, preserve your freedom; and maintain your independency: be industrious and free; be frugal and free.

Constant dropping wears away stones.

Resolve to perform what you ought;
perform without fail what you resolve.

Ambition has its disappointments to sour us, but never the good fortune to satisfy us.

Without justice, courage is weak.

Let each new year find you a better person.

Handle your tools without mittens.

He is ill clothed, who is bare of virtue.

Marriage is the most natural state of man, and therefore the state in which one is most likely to find solid happiness.

Three things are men most likely to be cheated in, a horse, a wig, and a wife.

Nine Men in Ten are Suicides.

A wise man will desire no more than what he may get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contently.

Our whole life is but a greater and longer childhood.

I know not which lives more unnatural lives, obeying husbands, or commanding wives.

A little House well fill'd, a little Field well till'd, and a little Wife well will'd, are great Riches.

Don't misinform your Doctor nor your Lawyer.

He's a fool that makes his doctor his heir.

We are not so sensible of the greatest Health as of the least Sickness.

He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night.

Who is there that can be handsomely Supported in Affluence, Ease and Pleasure by another, that will chuse rather to earn his Bread by the Sweat of his own Brows?

Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy.

Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes it.

When Wine enters, out goes the Truth.

Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.

The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars.

A man is not completely born until he is dead.

A man in a passion, rides a mad horse.

Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more saucy.

On being asked what condition of man he considered the most pitiable: A lonesome man on a rainy day who does not know how to read.

All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones. In my opinion, there never was a good war or a bad peace. When will mankind be convinced and agree to settle their difficulties by arbitration?

What science can there be more noble, more excellent, more useful for men, more admirably high and demonstrative, than this of mathematics?

Promises may get thee friends, but non-performance will turn them into enemies.

Content and Riches seldom meet together, Riches take thou, contentment I had rather.

An undutiful daughter will prove an unmanageable wife.

The Body of B. Franklin, Printer Like the Cover of an old Book Its Contents turn out And Stript of its Lettering and Guilding Lies here. Food for Worms For, it will as he believed appear once more In a new and more elegant Edition corrected and improved By the Author.

He who gives up freedom for safety deserves neither.

Those who would give up liberty for safety deserve neither.

The way to be safe is never to be secure.

If you, do what you should not, you must bear what you would not.

Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and governments.

When women cease to be handsome, they study to be good.

There is no little enemy.

Hear no ill of a friend, nor speak any of an enemy.

The best is the cheapest.

Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events.

The King's cheese is half wasted in parings: But no matter, 'tis made of the people's milk.

One good husband is worth two good wives, for the scarcer things are, the more they are valued.

Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty, and supped with infamy.

If you would keep your secret from an enemy, tell it not to a friend.

Of learned Fools I have seen ten times ten,
Of unlearned wise men I have seen a hundred.

Your best investment is to pour your purse into your head, and no one can take it away from you.

When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, 'tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.

If you teach a poor young man to shave himself, and keep his razor in order, you may contribute more to the happiness of his life than in giving him a thousand guineas.

Vessels large may venture more, But little boats should keep near shore.

Little boats should keep near shore.

Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no persuasion move thee, to do anything which thou knowest to be evil; so shalt thou always live jollity; for a good conscience is a continual Christmas.

If you wouldn't live long, live well; for folly and wickedness shorten life.

In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libeling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country.

Don't judge men's wealth or godliness by their Sunday appearance.

Fear not death; for the sooner we die, the longer shall we be immortal.

Keep flax from fire, and youth from gaming.

One of the greatest tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a gang of brutal facts.

For Age and Want save while you may; No morning Sun lasts a whole day.

There will be sleeping enough in the grave.

A temperate Diet frees from Diseases; such are seldom ill, but if they are surprised with Sickness, they bear it better, and recover sooner; for most Distempers have their Original from Repletion.

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned.

Life biggest tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

If better is possible, good is not enough.

What good shall I do this day?

Practice makes perfect.

You can do anything you set your mind to.

He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.

The best way to see Faith is to shut the eye of Reason.

He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.

Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.

Clean your Finger, before you point at my Spots.

I will speak ill of no man and speak all the good I know of everybody.

Fish and Visitors stink in 3 days.

O powerful goodness! Bountiful Father! Merciful Guide! Increase in me that wisdom which discovers my truest interest. Strengthen my resolution to perform what that wisdom dictates. Accept my kind offices to thy other children as the only return in my power for thy continual favours to me.

Be studious in your profession, and you will be learned. Be industrious and frugal, and you will be rich. Be sober and temperate, and you will be healthy. Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy. At least you will, by such conduct, stand the be.

Thinking aloud is a habit which is responsible for most of mankind's misery.

Reading was the only amusement I allowed myself.

If Passion drives, let Reason hold the Reins.

The people heard it, and approved the doctrine, and immediately practiced the contrary.

Write to Please Yourself.
When You write to Please Others
You end up Pleasing No one.

The way to wealth is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality: that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them everything.

Speak little, do much.

For the best return on your money, pour your purse into your head.

Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

To be humble to superiors is a duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.

Contentment makes poor men rich,
Discontent makes rich men poor.

The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.

For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.

But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

When you are finished changing, you're finished.

Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame.

Never confuse Motion with Action.

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.

The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn't know how to read.

Hide not your talents, they for use were made,
What's a sundial in the shade?

In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!

If you want to make a friend, let someone do you a favor.

It is the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins.

A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough.

There are three sorts of people in the world: Those who are immovable, people who don't get it, or don't want to do anything about it; there are people who are movable, people who see the need for change and are prepared to listen to it; and there are people who move, people who make things happen.

The noblest question in the world is: 'What good may I do in it?'

You will find the key to success under the alarm clock.

It is very hard to dislike someone you have helped.

The best tranquilizer is a clear conscience.

Most men die at 25, we just don't bury them until they are 70.

That which hurts, also instructs.

Success is the residue of planning.

The man who does things makes mistakes, but he doesn't make the biggest mistake of all-doing nothing.

If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.

When you are good to others, you are best to yourself.

Most men die from the neck up at age twenty-five because they stop dreaming.

Thirteen virtues necessary for true success: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility.

Genius is the ability to hold one's vision steady until it becomes reality.

By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.

How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of standing still. Forget your mistakes, but remember what they taught you. So how do you become better tomorrow? By becoming better today.

All highly competent people continually search for ways to keep learning, growing, and improving. They do that by asking WHY. After all, the person who knows HOW will always have a job, but the person who knows WHY will always be the boss.

I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.

The man that walks wit crowd, will get no farther than the crowd. The man that walks alone, will reach places unknown.

Common sense without education, is better than education without common sense.

There are two ways to increase your wealth. Increase your means or decrease your wants. The best is to do both at the same time.

The world is run by the people who show up.

There are many roads to success, but only one sure road to failure; and that is to try to please everyone else.

Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who kept their swords.

Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants.

Life's Tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war. They that are on their guard, and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked, than the supine, secure, and negligent.

Common sense is something that everyone needs, few have, and none think they lack.

They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

In free governments the rulers are the servants, and the people their superiors and sovereigns.

Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.

Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.

The learned fool writes his nonsense in better language than the unlearned, but it is still nonsense.

Fart for freedom, fart for liberty--and fart proudly.

The only thing that is more expensive than education is ignorance.

Whatever you become be good at it.

Security without liberty is called prison.

Little minds think and talk about people.
Average minds think and talk about things and actions.
Great minds think and talk about ideas.

Those who laugh often never grow old.

Make yourself sheep and the wolves will eat you.

War is when the government tells you who the bad guy is.
Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.

Don't throw stones at your neighbors if your own windows are glass.

When in doubt, don't.

If you want something done, ask a busy person.

It's the easiest thing in the world for a man to deceive himself.

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that.

No gains without pains.

When about 16 Years of Age, I happened to meet with a Book written by one Tryon, recommending a Vegetable Diet. I determined to go into it.... My refusing to eat Flesh occasioned an inconveniency, and I was frequently chid for my singularity.

My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an inconveniency, and I was frequently chid for my singularity.

Nothing is more fatal to health than an over care of it.

Lost Time is never found again.

He that cannot obey, cannot command.

Never leave till tomorrow that which you can do today.

Take one thing with another, and the world is a pretty good sort of a world, and it is our duty to make the best of it, and be thankful.

The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all others, charity.

If you would reap Praise you must sow the Seeds, Gentle Words and useful Deeds.

Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away.

He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that composes books.

Don't go to the doctor with every distemper, nor to the lawyer with every quarrel, nor to the pot for every thirst.

Diligence overcomes difficulties, sloth makes them.

To be content, look backward on those who possess less than yourself, not forward on those who possess more. If this does not make you content, you don't deserve to be happy.

If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.