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Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin (17 January 1706 — 17 April 1790) Journalist , publisher , author , philanthropist , public servant , scientist , philosopher , diplomat , and inventor
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- "Remember that time is money"
- Advice to a Young Tradesman (1748)
- "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or the want of it. By playing at Chess then, we may learn: 1st, Foresight, which looks a little into futurity, and considers the consequences that may attend an action ... 2nd, Circumspection, which surveys the whole Chess-board, or scene of action: - the relation of the several Pieces, and their situations; ... 3rd, Caution, not to make our moves too hastily...."
- "The Morals of Chess" (article) (1750)
- Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
- This statement was used as a motto on the title page of An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania. (1759) which was attributed to Franklin in the edition of 1812, but in a letter of September 27, 1760 to David Hume, he states that he published this book and denies that he wrote it, other than a few remarks that were credited to the Pennsylvania Assembly, in which he served. The phrase itself was first used in a letter from that Assembly dated November 11, 1755 to the Governor of Pennsylvania. An article on the origins of this statement here includes a scan that indicates the original typography of the 1759 document. Researchers now believe that a fellow diplomat by the name of Richard Jackson to be the primary author of the book. With the information thus far available the issue of authorship of the statement is not yet definitely resolved, but the evidence indicates it could well have been Franklin.
- Many variants derived from this phrase have arisen and have usually been attributed to Franklin:
- "They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- "He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security"
- "He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither"
- "If we restrict liberty to attain security we will lose them both."
- We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
- Reported by many to have been declared at the signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)
- There never was a good war or a bad peace.
- Letter to Josiah Quincy (September 11, 1783)
- "I've lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing Proofs I see of this Truth —That God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the House they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this, —and I also believe that without his concurring Aid, we shall succeed in this political Building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our Projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a Reproach and Bye word down to future Ages."
- "In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults, — if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people, if well administered; and I believe, farther, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other."
- Both in speech to the Constitutional Convention (June 28, 1787) Manuscript notes by Franklin are preserved in the Library of Congress.
- All the heretics I have known have been virtuous men.
- Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
- Letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy (November 13, 1789)
Poor Richard's Almanack (1733 -1758)
1733
- I might in this place attempt to gain thy Favor, by declaring that I write Almanacks with no other View than that of the public Good; but in this I should not be sincere; and Men are now a-days too wise to be deceived by Pretenses how specious so ever. The plain Truth of the Matter is, I am excessive poor, and my Wife, good Woman, is, I tell her, excessive proud...
- Beginning of the note by "R. Saunders" (A pseudonym of Franklin)
- A House without woman & Fire-light, is like a body without soul or sprite.
- Light purse, heavy heart.
- He's a Fool that makes his Doctor his Heir.
- Hunger never saw bad bread.
- Great Talkers, little Doers.
- Relation without friendship, friendship without power, power without will, will without effect, effect without profit, & profit without vertue, are not worth a farto.
- Eat to live, and not live to eat.
- The favor of the Great is no inheritance.
- Beware of the young Doctor and the old Barber.
- The poor have little, beggars none, the rich too much, enough not one.
- After 3 days men grow weary, of a wench, a guest, & weather rainy.
- To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy Meals.
- The proof of gold is fire, the proof of woman, gold; the proof of man, a woman.
- He that lies down with Dogs, shall rise up with fleas.
- Distrust and caution are the parents of security.
- Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.
- The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.
- Men and Melons are hard to know.
- He's the best physician that knows the worthlessness of the most medicines.
- Beware of meat twice boiled, and an old foe reconciled.
- A fine genius in his own country, is like a gold in the mine.
- There is no little enemy.
- Where bread is wanting, all's to be sold.
1734
- Would you live with ease? Do what you ought, not what you please.
- You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns, Nor enjoy fair wife without danger of horns.
- Without justice, courage is weak.
- Blame-all and Praise-all are two blockheads.
- Whate'ers begun in anger ends in shame.
- Beauty & Folly are old companions.
- Don't think to hunt two hares with one dog.
- Who pleasure gives, Shall joy receive.
- Where there is Marriage without Love, there will be Love without Marriage.
- Would you persuade, speak of Interest, not of Reason.
- He that cannot obey, cannot command.
- Necessity has no Law; I know some Attorneys of the name.
1735
- Bad Commentators spoil the best of books,
So God sends meat (they say) the devil Cooks.
- Approve not of him who commends all you say.
- By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable.
- A little House well fill'd, a little Field well till'd, and a little Wife well will'd, are great Riches.
- Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.
- The poor man must walk to get meat for his stomach, the rich man to get a stomach to his meat.
- Be slow in chusing a Friend, slower in changing.
- Modern spelling: Be slow in choosing a Friend, slower in changing.
- The cunning man steals a horse, the wise man lets him alone.
- This probably indicates: "The wise man lets him alone steal horses" or "let's him do it alone."
- Humility makes great men twice honourable.
- What's given shines,
What's receiv'd is rusty.
- Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues.
- Of learned Fools I have seen ten times ten,
Of unlearned wise men I have seen a hundred.
- Three may keep a Secret, if two of them are dead.
- Poverty wants some things, Luxury many things, Avarice all things.
- There's small Revenge in Words, but Words may be greatly revenged.
- A man is never so ridiculous by those Qualities that are his own as by those that he affects to have.
- Deny Self for Self's sake.
- Ever since Follies have pleas'd, Fools have been able to divert.
- It is better to take many Injuries than to give one.
- Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.
- To be humble to Superiors is Duty, to Equals Courtesy, to Inferiors Nobleness.
- If what most men admire, they would despise,
'Twould look as if mankind were growing wise.
- The Sun never repents of the good he does, nor does he ever demand a recompence.
- Are you angry that others disappoint you? remember you cannot depend upon yourself.
- One Mend-fault is worth two Findfaults, but one Findfault is better than two Makefaults.
1736
- Fish & Visitors stink in 3 days.
- Diligence is the mother of Good-Luck.
- Do not do what you would not have known.
- Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.
- God helps them that help themselves.
- He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.
1737
- The greatest monarch on the proudest throne, is oblig'd to sit upon his own arse.
- He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that composes books.
- Well done is better than well said.
- There are no ugly Loves, nor handsome Prisons.
- The noblest question in the world is What Good may I do in it?
- Nothing is so popular as GOODNESS.
1738
- There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.
- Who has deceiv'd thee so oft as thy self?
- Write with the learned, pronounce with the vulgar.
- Hast thou virtue? acquire also the graces & beauties of virtue.
- Buy what thou hast no need of; and e'er long thou shalt sell thy necessaries.
- If thou hast wit & learning, add to it Wisdom and Modesty.
- If you wou'd not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading,
Or do things worth the writing.
- Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power.
- Let thy vices die before thee.
- Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.
- The ancients tell us what is best; but we must learn of the moderns what is fittest.
- Since I cannot govern my own tongue, tho' within my own teeth, how can I hope to govern the tongues of others?
- 'Tis less discredit to abridge petty charges, than to stoop to petty Gettings.
- Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.
- If you do what you should not, you must hear what you would not.
- Wish not so much to live long as to live well.
- As we must account for every idle word, so we must for every idle silence.
- I have never seen the Philosopher's Stone that turns lead into Gold, but I have known the pursuit of it turn a Man's Gold into Lead.
- Time is an herb that cures all Diseases.
- Reading makes a full Man, Meditation a profound Man, discourse a clear Man.
- If any man flatters me, I'll flatter him again; tho' he were my best Friend.
- Wish a miser long life, and you wish him no good.
- None but the well-bred man knows how to confess a fault, or acknowledge himself in an error.
- Drive thy business; let not that drive thee.
- There is much difference between imitating a good man, and counterfeiting him.
- Wink at small faults; remember thou hast great ones.
- Eat to please thyself, but dress to please others.
- Search others for their virtues, thy self for thy vices.
- Each year one vicious habit rooted out,
In time might make the worst Man good throughout.
1739
- If thou wouldst live long, live well; for Folly and Wickedness shorten Life.
- Trust thy self, and another shall not betray thee.
- Historians relate, not so much what is done, as what they would have believed.
- Thou canst not joke an Enemy into a Friend; but thou may'st a Friend into an Enemy.
- He that falls in love with himself, will have no Rivals.
- Let thy Discontents be Secrets.
- No Resolution of Repenting hereafter, can be sincere.
- Honour thy Father and Mother, i. e. Live so as to be an Honour to them tho' they are dead.
- If thou injurest Conscience, it will have its Revenge on thee.
- Hear no ill of a Friend, nor speak any of an Enemy.
- Be not niggardly of what costs thee nothing, as courtesy, counsel, & countenance.
- Beware of him that is slow to anger: He is angry for something, and will not be pleased for nothing.
- Proclaim not all thou knowest, all thou owest, all thou hast, nor all thou canst.
- Let our Fathers and Grandfathers be valued for their Goodness, ourselves for our own.
- Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden but it is forbidden because it's hurtful. Nor is a Duty beneficial because it is commanded, but it is commanded, because it's beneficial.
- Great Beauty, great strength, & great Riches, are really & truly of no great Use; a right Heart exceeds all.
1742
- When Knaves fall out, honest Men get their goods: When Priests dispute, we come at the Truth.
- Strange! that a Man who has wit enough to write a Satyr; should have folly enough to publish it.
- A comment on the dangers of writing of a satire.
- Speak and speed: the close mouth catches no flies.
- Ben beats his Pate, and fancys wit will come;
But he may knock, there's no body at home.
- Ill Customs & bad Advice are seldom forgotten.
- He that sows thorns, should not go barefoot.
- One good Husband is worth two good Wives; for the scarcer things are the more they're valued.
- He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night.
- He that speaks ill of the Mare, will buy her.
- You will be careful, if you are wise;
How you touch Men's Religion, or Credit, or Eyes.
- They who have nothing to trouble them, will be troubled at nothing.
- Against Diseases here, the strongest Fence,
Is the defensive Virtue, Abstinence.
- If thou dost ill, the joy fades, not the pains;
If well, the pain doth fade, the joy remains.
- To err is human, to repent divine, to persist devilish.
- Industry pays Debts, Despair encreases them.
- The Difficulty lies, in finding out an exact Measure; but eat for Necessity, not Pleasure, for Lust knows not where Necessity ends.
- If thou art dull and heavy after Meat, it's a sign thou hast exceeded the due Measure; for Meat and Drink ought to refresh the Body, and make it chearful, and not to dull and oppress it.
1753
- Tis against some Mens Principle to pay Interest, and seems against others Interest to pay the Principal.
- Setting too good an Example is a Kind of Slander seldom forgiven; 'tis Scandalum Magnatum.
- A great Talker may be no Fool, but he is one that relies on him.
- If you would reap Praise you must sow the Seeds,
Gentle Words and useful Deeds.
- Ignorance leads Men into a Party, and Shame keeps them from getting out again.
- Many have quarrel'd about Religion, that never practis'd it.
- Sudden Power is apt to be insolent, Sudden Liberty saucy; that behaves best which has grown gradually.
- Anger is never without a Reason, but seldom with a good One.
- He that is of Opinion Money will do every Thing, may well be suspected of doing every Thing for Money.
- Serving God is Doing Good to Man, but Praying is thought an easier Service, and therefore more generally chosen.
- Nothing humbler than Ambition, when it is about to climb.
- Gifts much expected, are paid, not given.
- It has pleased God in his Goodness to Mankind, at length to discover to them the Means of securing their Habitations and other Buildings from Mischief by Thunder and Lightning. The Method is this: Provide a small Iron Rod (it may be made of the Rod-iron used by the Nailers) but of such a Length, that one End being three or four Feet in the moist Ground, the other may be six or eight Feet above the highest Part of the Building. To the upper End of the Rod fasten about a Foot of Brass Wire, the Size of a common Knitting- [nbneedle, sharpened to a fine Point; the Rod may be secured to the House by a few small Staples. If the House or Barn be long, there may be a Rod and Point at each End, and a middling Wire along the Ridge from one to the other. A House thus furnished will not be damaged by Lightning, it being attracted by the Points, and passing thro the Metal into the Ground without hurting any Thing. Vessels also, having a sharp pointed Rod fix'd on the Top of their Masts, with a Wire from the Foot of the Rod reaching down, round one of the Shrouds, to the Water, will not be hurt by Lightning.
1758
Many quotations from the preamble of this edition are repeats of statements in previous editions, a sort of "Collected Wisdom" of Poor Richard.
- The Way to see by Faith, is to shut the Eye of Reason.
- In my Rambles, where I am not personally known, I have frequently heard one or other of my Adages repeated, with, as Poor Richard says, at the End on't; this gave me some Satisfaction, as it showed not only that my Instructions were regarded, but discovered likewise some Respect for my Authority; and I own, that to encourage the Practice of remembering and repeating those wise Sentences, I have sometimes quoted myself with great Gravity.
- Father Abraham stood up, and reply'd, If you'd have my Advice, I'll give it you in short, for a Word to the Wise is enough, and many Words won't fill a Bushel, as Poor Richard says. They join'd in desiring him to speak his Mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows;
"Friends, says he, and Neighbours, the Taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the Government were the only Ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our Idleness, three times as much by our Pride, and four times as much by our Folly, and from these Taxes the Commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an Abatement. However let us hearken to good Advice, and something may be done for us; God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says, in his Almanack of 1733.
It would be thought a hard Government that should tax its People one tenth Part of their Time, to be employed in its Service. But Idleness taxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in absolute Sloth, or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle Employments or Amusements, that amount to nothing. Sloth, by bringing on Diseases, absolutely shortens Life.
- Sloth, like Rust, consumes faster than Labour wears, while the used Key is always bright.
- Dost thou love Life, then do not squander Time, for that's the Stuff Life is made of.
- There will be sleeping enough in the Grave.
- Lost Time is never found again; and what we call Time-enough, always proves little enough: Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the Purpose; so by Diligence shall we do more with less Perplexity. Sloth makes all Things difficult, but Industry all easy
- Want of Care does us more Damage than Want of Knowledge.
- For want of a Nail the Shoe was lost; for want of a Shoe the Horse was lost; and for want of a Horse the Rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the Enemy, all for want of Care about a Horse-shoe Nail.
- Pride that dines on Vanity sups on Contempt.
- When you have got the Philosopher's Stone, sure you will no longer complain of bad Times, or the Difficulty of paying Taxes.
- Experience keeps a dear School, but Fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that.
- They that won't be counselled, can't be helped.
- Thus the old Gentleman ended his Harangue. The People heard it, and approved the Doctrine, and immediately practised the contrary, just as if it had been a common Sermon; for the Vendue opened, and they began to buy extravagantly, notwithstanding all his Cautions, and their own Fear of Taxes.— I found the good Man had thoroughly studied my Almanacks, and digested all I had dropt on those Topicks during the Course of Five-and-twenty Years. The frequent Mention he made of me must have tired any one else, but my Vanity was wonderfully delighted with it, though I was conscious that not a tenth Part of the Wisdom was my own which he ascribed to me, but rather the Gleanings I had made of the Sense of all Ages and Nations. However, I resolved to be the better for the Echo of it; and though I had at first determined to buy Stuff for a new Coat, I went away resolved to wear my old One a little longer. Reader, if thou wilt do the same, thy Profit will be as great as mine.
- When you're an Anvil, hold you still;
When you're a Hammer, strike your Fill.
- When Knaves betray each other, one can scarce be blamed, or the other pitied.
- Fools need Advice most, but wise Men only are the better for it.
- Silence is not always a Sign of Wisdom, but Babbling is ever a Mark of Folly.
- Great Modesty often hides great Merit.
- You may delay, but Time will not.
- Virtue may not always make a Face handsome, but Vice will certainly make it ugly.
- Content is the Philosopher's Stone, that turns all it touches into Gold.
- Statement on the value of contentment.
- He that's content, hath enough; He that complains, has too much.
- 'Half the Truth is often a great Lie.
- Good-Will, like the Wind, floweth where it listeth.
- In a corrupt Age, the putting the World in order would breed Confusion; then e'en mind your own Business.
- To serve the Publick faithfully, and at the same time please it entirely, is impracticable.
- Rob not God, nor the Poor, lest thou ruin thyself; the Eagle snatcht a Coal from the Altar, but it fired her Nest.
- With bounteous Cheer,
Conclude the Year.
The Autobiography (1817)
Various incomplete editions of this work were published from 1791 onwards; Franklin is known to have worked on it intermittently from 1771 to 1789.
- I scarce ever heard or saw the introductory words, "Without vanity I may say," &c., but some vain thing immediately followed. Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves; but I give it fair quarter wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor, and to others that are within his sphere of action; and therefore, in many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life.
- From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books.
- This library afforded me the means of improvement by constant study, for which I set apart an hour or two each day, and thus repair'd in some degree the loss of the learned education my father once intended for me. Reading was the only amusement I allow'd myself. I spent no time in taverns, games, or frolicks of any kind; and my industry in my business continu'd as indefatigable as it was necessary.
- Human felicity is produc‘d not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day.
- My parents had early given me religious impressions, and brought me through my childhood piously in the Dissenting way. But I was scarce fifteen, when, after doubting by turns of several points, as I found them disputed in the different books I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself. Some books against Deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of sermons preached at Boyle’s Lectures. It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough Deist.
Attributed
- A Democracy will vote away its rights.
- An empty bag will not stand upright.
- Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
- Each man has two countries, I think: His own, and France. (1783)
- God made beer because he loves us and wants us to be happy.
- He that lives on hope will die fasting.
- Hide not your talents, they for use were made, what good is a sundial in the shade.
- Know the signs of the sky and you will far the happier be.
- Lying rides upon debt's back.
- The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. - also attributed to Albert Einstein
- The way to be safe is to never be secure.
- We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing.
- Your argument is sound, nothing but sound.
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