Benjamin Franklin quotes

We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.

• 24
• ignorance

The things which hurt, instruct.

• 23
• learning

Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning.

• 22
• actions

The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.

• 22
• sincerity

Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don't have brains enough to be honest.

• 22
• deceptionlying

Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.

• 21
• procrastination

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

• 18
• sleep

The doors of wisdom are never shut.

• 18
• wisdom

Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.

• 18
• laziness

One today is worth two tomorrows.

• 18
• present

It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.

• 18
• habits

Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man.

• 18
• reading

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

• 17
• persuasion

Write your injuries in dust, your benefits in marble.

• 17
• service

If a man could have half of his wishes, he would double his troubles.

• 17
• wish

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

• 17
• success

Read much, but not many books.

• 17
• reading

Learn of the skillful; he that teaches himself, has a fool for his master.

• 16
• learning

An old young man, will be a young old man.

• 15
• age

It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.

• 14
• work

Drive your business, let not your business drive you.

• 14
• business

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

• 14
• education

Honesty is the best policy.

• 14
• honesty

Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.

• 13
• ignorance

Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.

• 13
• advice

While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.

• 13
• control

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

• 12
• secrets

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

• 12
• secrets

Many a man thinks he is buying pleasure, when he is really selling himself to it.

• 12
• pleasure

I have met the enemy, and it is the eyes of other people.

• 12
• enemy

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

• 11
• neighbors

To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy meals.

• 11
• health

A small leak can sink a great ship

• 10
• things

Applause waits on success.

• 10
• recognition

Observe all men, thyself most.

• 10
• identity

Who had deceived thee so often as thyself?

• 10
• deceptionlying

Let thy discontents be thy secrets.

• 9
• discontent

What has become clear to you since we last met?

• 9
• discovery

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

• 9
• marriage

The discontented man finds no easy chair.

• 9
• discontent

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

• 9
• judging

Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.

• 9
• certainty

Take time for all things; great haste makes great waste.

• 8
• hate

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

• 8
• pride

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

• 8

Plough deep while sluggards sleep.

• 8
• opportunity

She laughs at everything you say. Why? Because she has fine teeth.

• 8
• laughter

Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade.

• 8
• genius

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.

• 8
• worry

God heals and the doctor takes the fee.

• 8
• doctors

A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.

• 7
• ignorance

He does not posses wealth that allows it to possess him.

• 7
• wealth

Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.

• 7
• poverty

The absent are never without fault. Nor the present without excuse.

• 7
• absence

When befriended, remember it; when you befriend, forget it.

• 7
• gratitude

Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.

• 6
• against

Teach your child to hold his tongue; he'll learn fast enough to speak.

• 6
• manners

Tomorrow every fault is to be amended; but tomorrow never comes.

• 6
• future

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

• 6
• tact

Genius without education is like silver in the mine.

• 6
• genius

There is much difference between imitating a man and counterfeiting him.

• 6
• plagiarism

Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright.

• 6
• laziness

Buy what thou hast no need of and ere long thou shalt sell thy necessities.

• 6
• necessity

Never confuse motion with action.

• 6
• actions

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

• 5
• liberty

He who waits upon fortune is never sure of dinner.

• 5
• procrastination

There are no gains without pains.

• 5
• pain

Let the child's first lesson be obedience, and the second will be what thou wilt.

• 5
• children

He that lives upon hope will die fasting.

• 5
• hope

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

• 5
• guests

Each year one vicious habit discarded, in time might make the worst of us good.

• 5
• habits

Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy.

• 5
• pessimism

The way to wealth depends on just two words, industry and frugality.

• 4
• wealth

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.

• 4
• improvement

Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.

• 4
• contentment

He was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages; so ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on.

• 4
• ignorance

Drive thy business or it will drive thee.

• 4
• control

If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher's stone.

• 4
• money

The use of money is all the advantage there is in having money.

• 4
• advantage

Vice knows that she is ugly, so she puts on her mask.

• 4
• virtue

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

• 4
• humility

They that will not be counseled, cannot be helped. If you do not hear reason she will rap you on the knuckles.

• 4
• advice

Never take a wife till thou hast a house (and a fire) to put her in.

• 4
• marriage

He that speaks much, is much mistaken.

• 4
• speeches

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

• 4
• health

A cheerful face is nearly as good for an invalid as healthy weather.

• 4
• happiness

I am lord of myself, accountable to none.

• 4
• independence

It is much easier to suppress a first desire than to satisfy those that follow.

• 4
• desires

He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.

• 3
• money

He's the best physician that knows the worthlessness of the most medicines.

• 3
• doctors

There never was a good war or a bad peace.

• 3
• peace

Most fools think they are only ignorant.

• 3
• fools

Glass, china, and reputation are easily cracked, and never mended well.

• 3
• reputation

I look upon death to be as necessary to our constitution as sleep. We shall rise refreshed in the morning.

• 3
• death

He that hath a trade hath an estate; he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor.

• 3
• labor

He that would live in peace and at ease must not speak all he knows or all he sees.

• 3
• peace

Remember that credit is money.

• 3
• credit

If you would know the value of money try to borrow some.

• 3
• debt

Our necessities never equal our wants.

• 3
• desires

Creditors have better memories than debtors.

• 3
• memory

Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure.

• 3
• rest

He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities.

• 3
• rest

In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it.

• 3
• faith

Trouble springs from idleness, and grievous toil from needless ease.

• 3
• laziness

A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave.

• 3
• laziness

To bear other people's afflictions, everyone has courage and enough to spare.

• 3
• suffering

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

• 3
• ignorance

We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.

• 3
• unity

Do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of.

• 3
• time

There never was a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous.

• 3
• greatness

Where sense is wanting, everything is wanting.

• 3
• wisdom

Pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt.

• 3
• pride

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

• 3
• solutions

A place for everything, everything in its place.

• 3
• inspirational

Proclaim not all thou knowest, all thou knowest, all thou hast, nor all thou cans't.

• 3
• knowledge

If you desire many things, many things will seem few.

• 2
• desires

There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.

• 2
• friends

He who multiplies riches, multiplies cares.

• 2
• wealth

Many foxes grow gray but few grow good.

• 2
• age

No nation was ever ruined by trade.

• 2
• economics