Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Quotes

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

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

• 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."

• To the generous mind the heaviest debt is that of gratitude, when it is not in our power to repay it.

• Necessity never made a good bargain.

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

• He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face.

• Read much, but not many books.

• 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.

• Early morning hath gold in its mouth.

• Whoever feels pain in hearing a good character of his neighbor, will feel a pleasure in the reverse. And those who despair to rise in distinction by their virtues, are happy if others can be depressed to a level of themselves.

• Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.

• Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

• To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy meals

• Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry, all things easy. He that rises late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night, while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.

• Five thousand balloons, capable of raising two men each, could not cost more than five ships of the line; and where is the prince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense as that 10,000 men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought together to repel them?

• Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it makes one. If it satisfies one want, it doubles and trebles that want another way. That was a true proverb of the wise man, rely upon it; "Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, and trouble therewith."

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

• For the want of a nail, the shoe was lose; for the want of a shoe the horse was lose; and for the want of a horse the rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for the want of care about a horseshoe nail.

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