Benjamin Franklin Quotes

Singularity in the right hath ruined many; happy those who are convinced of the general opinion.

If you have a bald head don't walk out in the sun because you will get burned.

The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason: The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put out your Candle.

He'll cheat without scruple, who can without fear.

Genius without education is like silver in the mine.

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

He's a fool who cannot conceal his wisdom.

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

Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.

A word to the wise is enough, and many words won't fill a bushel.

Read much, but not too many books.

If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.

The apostle Paul very seriously advised Timothy to put some wine in his water for health's sake, but not one of the apostles nor any of the holy fathers have ever recommended putting water in wine

Fiction or fable allures to instruction.

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

Many have quarreled about religion that never practice it.

Families ought to be noisy.

God helps those who help themselves.

Where sense is wanting, everything is wanting.

The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing.

Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use; a right heart exceeds all

Love, Cough, & a Smoke, can't well be hid.

A change of fortune hurts a wise man no more than a change of the moon.

Proclaim not all though knowest, or all though owest.

Private property...is the creature of society and is subject to the calls of that society even to the last farthing.

Wherever desirable superfluities are imported, industry is excited, and thereby plenty is produced. Were only necessaries permitted to be purchased, men would work no more than was necessary for that purpose.

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.

Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy.

Stand firm, don't flutter!

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

The best investment is in the tools of one's own trade.

I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it is not given our fallen nature to understand.

Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy. At least, you will by such conduct, stand the best chance for such consequences.

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.

From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books.

The riches of a country are to be valued by the quantity of labor its inhabitants are able to purchase, and not by the quantity of silver and gold they possess; which will purchase more or less labor, and therefore is more or less valuable, as is said before, according to its scarcity or plenty.

I wish it (Christianity) were more productive of good works ... I mean real good works ... not holy day keeping, sermon-hearing ... or making long prayers, filled with flatteries and compliments despised by wise men, and much less capable of pleasing the Deity.

There is no such thing as a good war or a bad peace.

Nothing great comes without enthusiasm.

Neglect kills injuries, revenge increases them.

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

Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both.

Look before, or you'll find yourself behind.

It seems to me, that if statesmen had a little more arithmetic, or were accustomed to calculation, wars would be much less frequent.

In the dark, all cats are grey.

After getting the first hundred pounds, it is more easy to get the second.

If you do tomorrow what you did today , you will get tomorrow what you got today

The key that unlocks a door is a key to keep if you want to go through that door again.