Quotes by Franklin, Benjamin




Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 April 17, 1790) was one of the most prominent of Founders and early political figures and statesmen of the United States. Considered the earliest of the Founders, Franklin was noted for his curiosity, ingenuity and diversity of interests. His wit and wisdom is proverbial to this day. More than anyone he shaped the American Revolution despite never holding national elective office. As a leader of the Enlightenment he had the attention of scientists and intellectuals all across Europe. As agent in London before the Revolution, and Minister to France during, he more than anyone defined the new nation in the minds of Europe. His success in securing French military and financial aid was decisive for American victory over Britain. He invented the lightning rod; he invented the notion of colonial unity; he invented the idea of America; historians hail him as the "First American". The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will mark Franklin's 300th Birthday in January 2006, with a wide array of exhibitions, and events citing Franklin's extraordinary accomplishments throughout his illustrious career..

"A small leak can sink a great ship"

Franklin, Benjamin on things and little things    Share


"Human felicity is produced not as much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen as by little advantages that occur every day."

Franklin, Benjamin on things and little things    Share

"Since thou are not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour."

Franklin, Benjamin on time    Share

"If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality."

Franklin, Benjamin on time    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on time
5 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on time
7 fans of this quote    Share

"He that rises late must trot all day."

Franklin, Benjamin on time
5 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on tomorrow
4 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on unity
5 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on vice    Share

"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."

Franklin, Benjamin on vigilance
7 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on virtue    Share

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one."

Franklin, Benjamin on want
9 fans of this quote    Share

"Our necessities never equal our wants."

Franklin, Benjamin on want
3 fans of this quote    Share

"Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything."

Franklin, Benjamin on waste    Share

"Industry, perseverance, and frugality make fortune yield."

Franklin, Benjamin on wealth    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on wealth
3 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on wealth
3 fans of this quote    Share

"Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it."

Franklin, Benjamin on wealth    Share

"Where sense is wanting, everything is wanting."

Franklin, Benjamin on wisdom    Share

"The doors of wisdom are never shut."

Franklin, Benjamin on wisdom
3 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on wish and wishing
5 fans of this quote    Share

"Industry need not wish."

Franklin, Benjamin on wish and wishing    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on wives
5 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on work
4 fans of this quote    Share

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."

Franklin, Benjamin on writers and writing
14 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on absence
6 fans of this quote    Share

"Admiration is the daughter of ignorance."

Franklin, Benjamin on admiration    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on children
4 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on complaints and complaining    Share

"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins."

Franklin, Benjamin on conflict
9 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on conformity    Share

"Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

Franklin, Benjamin on constitutions    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on contentment
6 fans of this quote    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on contentment
9 fans of this quote    Share

"Drive thy business or it will drive thee."

Franklin, Benjamin on control    Share

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

Franklin, Benjamin on control
17 fans of this quote    Share

"The great secret of succeeding in conversation is to admire little, to hear much; always to distrust our own reason, and sometimes that of our friends; never to pretend to wit, but to make that of others appear as much as possibly we can; to hearken to what is said and to answer to the purpose."

Franklin, Benjamin on conversation
5 fans of this quote    Share

But wait... There are more: prev 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 next

Take a look at recent activity on QB!

 

Search Quotations Book


Franklin, Benjamin - 116px-Benjamin_Franklin.jpeg - Benjamin Franklin   Photos >>