Benjamin Franklin Quotes

On second thought, it's a good thing love is blind otherwise it would see too much.

He who is in love with himself has no rivals.

He that would fish, must venture his bait.

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

Would thou confound thy enemy, be good thyself.

Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporary safety are not deserving of either liberty or safety.

Hold your Council before Dinner; the full Belly hates Thinking as well as Acting.

God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice, either here or hereafter.

Without justice, courage is weak.

Don't you know, that all wives are in the right? It may be you don't, for you are yet a young husband.

When you are finished changing, you are finished.

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.

Trouble Springs From Idleness.

Be ashamed to catch yourself idle.

A man compounded of law and gospel is able to cheat a whole country with his religion and then destroy them under color of law

He who multiplies riches multiplies cares.

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

We should make the poor uncomfortable and kick them out of poverty.

Vicious actions are not hurtful because they are forbidden, but forbidden because they are hurtful.

Never spare the parson's wine nor the baker's pudding

When you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests and their selfish views.

Drive thy business or it will drive thee.

Passion governs, and she never governs wisely.

Great talkers are little doers.

Love well, whip well.

For the best return on your money, pour your purse into your head.

All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones.

Never contradict anybody.

There's small Revenge in Words, but Words may be greatly revenged

As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.

An education is the investment with the greatest returns.

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.

To expect people to be good, to be just, to be temperate, etc., without showing them how they should become so, seems like the ineffectual charity mentioned by the apostle, which consisted in saying to the hungry, the cold and the naked, be ye fed, be ye warmed, be ye clothed, without showing them how they should get food, fire or clothing.

Serving God is doing good to man, but praying is thought an easier service and therefore more generally chosen.

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

We are not so sensible of the greatest Health as of the least Sickness.

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

When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.

There are two ways of being happy: We must either diminish our wants or augment our means - either may do - the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier.

He that cannot obey, cannot command.

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 who 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.

If you wish information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet at the same time express yourself as firmly fix'd in your present opinions, modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave you undisturbed in the possession of your error.

For over 1,700 years, the Jews have been bewailing their sad fate in that they have been exiled from their homeland, as they call Palestine. But gentlemen, did the world give it to them in fee simple, they would at once find some reason for not returning. Why? Because they are vampires, and vampires do not live on vampires. They cannot live only among themselves. They must subsist on Christians and other people not of their race.

Half the truth is often a great lie.

Be civil to all; serviceable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.

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

Silence is not always a sign of wisdom, but babbling is ever a mark of folly.

This [the U.S. Constitution] is likely to be administered for a course of years and then end in despotism... when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.