About Author : Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat. As a scientist he was a major figure in the Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and a musical instrument. He formed both the first public lending library in America and first fire department in Pennsylvania. He was an early proponent of colonial unity and as a political writer and activist he, more than anyone, invented the idea of an American nation and as a diplomat during the American Revolution, he secured the French alliance that helped to make independence possible.
Benjamin Franklin Sayings and Quotes
You may delay but time will not.
Time is money.
He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
Experience keeps a dear school but fools will learn in no other.
Beware of the young doctor and the old barber.
Many men die at twenty-five and aren’t buried until they are seventy-five.
Lost time is never found again.
He was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages so ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on.
He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world.
If your head is wax don’t walk in the sun.
If you would be wealthy think of saving as well as getting.
If Jack’s in love he’s no judge of Jill’s beauty.
Employ thy time well if thou meanest to get leisure.
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
If you wouldst live long live well for folly and wickedness shorten life.
Keep thy eyes wide open before marriage and half-shut afterwards.
Anger is never without a reason but seldom a good one.
But in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.
I know not which lives more unnatural lives obeying husbands or commanding wives.
Energy and persistence conquer all thing.
Kill no more pigeons than you can eat.
Wealth is not his that has it but his who enjoys it.
No nation was ever ruined by trade.
Any fool can criticize condemn and complain and most fools do.
To err is human to repent divine to persist devilish.
Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.
It isn’t what you know that counts it’s what you think of in time.
There are three great friends an old wife an old dog and ready money.
Those disputing contradicting and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory sometimes but they never get good will which would be of more use to them.
Remember that time is money.
Think of these things whence you came where you are going and to whom you must account.
Would you live with ease do what you ought and not what you please.
We must all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.
If a man empties his purse into his head no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
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.
A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two different things.
Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
He does not possess wealth it possesses him.
Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place but far more difficult still to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
As we must account for every idle word so must we account for every idle silence.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
There never was a good war or a bad peace.
Marry your son when you will but you daughter when you can.
Dost thou love life Then do not squander time for that’s the stuff life is made of.
After three days men grow weary of a wench a guest and rainy weather.
Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.
He that lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.
He is ill clothed who is bare of virtue.
There is no little enemy.
Where there’s marriage without love there will be love without marriage.
To be humble to superiors is duty to equals courtesy to inferiors nobleness.
God heals and the doctor takes the fees.
Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden but it is forbidden because it’s hurtful.
Fear God and your enemies will fear you.
Many complain of their memory few of their judgment.
The doors of wisdom are never shut.
Well done is better than well said.
Do good to thy Friend to keep him to thy enemy to gain him.
Be civil to all sociable to many familiar with few friend to one enemy to none.
By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree and endless in duration.
I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever not even in a matter of truth but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody.
How many observe Christ’s birthday How few his precepts O ’tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.
Use no hurtful deceit think innocently and justly and if you speak speak accordingly.
Life’s Tragedy is that we get old to soon and wise too late.
If you would be loved love and be lovable.
Without justice courage is weak.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.
If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead either write something worth reading or do things worth writing.
Hide not your talents they for use were made. What’s a sun-dial in the shade.
Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.
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.
He that lives upon hope will die fasting.
He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.
Drive thy business or it will drive thee.
If you know how to spend less than you get you have the philosopher’s stone.
If you would persuade you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.
Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.
I am a strong believer in luck and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
Search others for their virtues thyself for thy vices.
Who is rich He that is content. Who is that Nobody.
Fish and visitors smell in three days.
There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do.
Creditors have better memories than debtors.
To lengthen thy life lessen thy meals.
Wish not so much to live long as to live well.