Popular Benjamin Franklin's Quotes And Sayings

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

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

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

A false friend and a shadow attend only while the sun shines.

Who is strong? He that can conquer his bad habits.

If you want something done, ask a busy person.

I have 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 they labor in vain that 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

Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.

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

Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.

Be cheerful -- the problems that worry us most are those that never arrive.

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.

There is scarce a king in a hundred who would not, if he could, follow the example of Pharoah - get first all the people's money, then all their lands, and then make them and their children servants forever.

A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins.” Benjamin Franklin

Speak ill of no man, but speak all the good you know of everybody.

The best tranquilizer is a clear conscience.

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

We constantly change the world, even by our inaction. Therefore, let us change it responsibly.

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

Those who laugh often never grow old.

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

Rather go to bed with out dinner than to rise in debt.

History affords us many instances of the ruin of states, by the prosecution of measures ill suited to the temper and genius of their people. The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. ... These measures never fail to create great and violent jealousies and animosities between the people favored and the people oppressed; whence a total separation of affections, interests, political obligations, and all manner of connections, by which the whole state is weakened.

When you're finished changing, you're finished.

In my youth, I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.

Money makes money. And the money that makes money makes more money.

Who is wise? He that learns from everyone.

Arguing is a game that two can play at. But it is a strange game in that neither opponent ever wins.

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

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

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

I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up.

Success is the residue of planning.

One day is worth a thousand tomorrows.

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

The height of foolishness is to discard an opportunity without full investigation

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.

Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power.

A people who chose security over liberty will receive neither nor deserve either.

All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.

Your argument is sound, nothing but sound.

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

Out of adversity comes opportunity.

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. When it comes to investing, nothing will pay off more than educating yourself. Do the necessary research, study and analysis before making any investment decisions.

Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.

A good spouse and health is a person's best wealth.

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.

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

You may delay, but time will not.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

You can't tell anyone anything. You have to teach people for them to remember. Let the person experience what you are teaching and they will learn.

When you speak to a man, look on his eyes; when he speaks to you, look on his mouth.

That which hurts, also instructs.

Without Freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom;and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.

Everybody's human-everybody makes mistakes. If you laugh it off and keep going and try to give it your best the next time around, people respect that.

Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.

Silence - Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.

A good conscience is a continual Christmas.

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

I am a mortal enemy to arbitrary government and unlimited power. I am naturally very jealous for the rights and liberties of my country, and the least encroachment of those invaluable privileges is apt to make my blood boil.

Great hopes make everything great possible

Repeal that [welfare] law, and you will soon see a change in their manners. ... Six days shalt thou labor, though one of the old commandments long treated as out of date, will again be looked upon as a respectable precept; industry will increase, and with it plenty among the lower people; their circumstances will mend, and more will be done for their happiness by inuring them to provide for themselves, than could be done by dividing all your estates among them.

If you watch your pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves.

He's a fool who cannot conceal his wisdom.

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

you can do anything you set your mind to

Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for patience.

He that cannot obey, cannot command.

There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.

It is very hard to dislike someone you have helped

A lie stands on one leg, truth on two.

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

The rotten apple spoils his companion.

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

Wars are not paid for in wartime. The bill comes later.

Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.

Lose no time; be always employed in something useful.

I saw few die of hunger; of eating, a hundred thousand.

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 believe further, 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.

Eat to live, not live to eat.

Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful.

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

The way to see by Faith is to shut the Eye of Reason.

Many complain of their memory, few of their judgment.

People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.

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

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

How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts!

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.

No gains without pains.

Let each new year find you a better person.

A man must have a good deal of vanity who believes, and a good deal of boldness who affirms, that all the doctrines he holds are true, and all he rejects are false.

Clean your finger before you point at my spots.

Freedom of speech is the great bulwark of liberty; they prosper and die together: And it is the terror of traitors and oppressors, and a barrier against them. It produces excellent writers, and encourages men of fine genius.

Outside Independence Hall when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 ended, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."

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

Among the numerous luxuries of the table...coffee may be considered as one of the most valuable. It excites cheerfulness without intoxication; and the pleasing flow of spirits which it occasions...is never followed by sadness, languor or debility.

An education is the investment with the greatest returns.

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