There are many great Americans who have made a significant impact on the country, and Benjamin Franklin is one of them. Franklin was not only one of the Founding Fathers of America, but he was also an author, inventor, diplomat, and postmaster. Franklin was a man of many talents! In this article, we will explore some of his best quotes and see what wisdom he has to offer us.
About Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most important founding fathers of the United States of America. He was a scientist, inventor, diplomat, printer, and philosopher. His discoveries and inventions include the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove.
He also helped to negotiate the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War. As a diplomat, he represented the United States in France and helped to secure financial aid during the war. In his later years, he became known as a moralist and wrote essays on topics such as religion, order, and tolerance.
He founded several educational and philanthropic organizations, including the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the American Philosophical Society. Franklin’s legacy continues to this day, and he is considered one of the most influential figures in American history.
Here are the best Benjamin Franklin Quotes
Franklin aimed to better himself by adhering to a list of 13 virtues. He came up with this plan in 1726 at age 20 and continued practicing these virtues throughout his life. Let’s see what virtues and wisdom he has to offer us through his quotes:
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
First and foremost, it is essential to have something worthwhile to say. Whether you’re writing an article, creating a piece of art, or developing a new product, starting with a strong foundation is important. Something that is truly unique and interesting.
Without that, you’re likely to end up with something that is forgettable at best. But what if you don’t have any great ideas? That’s where the second part of Franklin’s quote comes in. You need to do something worth writing about. In other words, go out and make life interesting. Be daring, bold, and creative.
Do something that will make people sit up and take notice. If you can do that, you’ll be well on your way to creating something worth reading or writing about!
“Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.”
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
“Tell me, and I forget, teach me, and I may remember, involve me, and I learn.”
“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
“You may delay, but time will not.”
“A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned”
“Many people die at twenty-five and aren’t buried until they are seventy-five.”
“In wine, there is wisdom; in beer, there is Freedom; in the water, there are bacteria.”
“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
In this particular quote, he’s emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning. We may be born ignorant, but if we don’t try to learn and grow, we’ll stay ignorant. And in today’s world, ignorance is not bliss – it can be dangerous.
With all the readily available information, there’s no excuse for not being educated on the issues that matter most.
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
“Fear not death, for the sooner we die, the longer we shall be immortal.”
“I didn’t fail the test; I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.”
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
“How many observe Christ’s birthday! How few, His precepts!”
“Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.”
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
“Well done is better than well said.”
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of activity and forget the importance of taking action. We can all relate to the feeling of wanting to do something but not having the time or energy to actually do it. That’s where Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote comes in: “Well done is better than well said.”
In other words, it’s better to take action and get things done than it is to simply talk about doing them. This is an important reminder that we should all focus on putting our words into action. It’s one thing to talk about making positive changes in our lives, but it’s another thing entirely to actually follow through on those changes. When we take action and make things happen, we are more likely to achieve our goals and create lasting positive change in our lives.
“Hide not your talents; they for use were made; what’s a sundial in the shade?”
“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”
“Lost Time is never found again.”
“Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.”
“If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.”
“The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”
“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.”
“It is a great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults; greater to tell him his.”
“The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read.”
For anyone who loves literature, there are few things more enjoyable than curling up with a good book on a rainy day. But as Benjamin Franklin so astutely observed, this simple pleasure is not available to everyone. There are many people in the world who cannot read, and for them, a rainy day can be a lonely and frustrating experience.
This is especially true if they are surrounded by others reading and enjoying their books’ company. While we often take reading for granted, it is truly a gift that should be shared with all. Just think how much richer and more enjoyable our world would be if everyone had the ability to read.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.”
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
“Never confuse Motion with Action.”
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
“Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame.”
“Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen.
Keep in the sunlight.”
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.”
“The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.”
“There was never a bad peace or a good war.”
“Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.”
When choosing a friend, taking the time to get to know the person and ensure that you have shared interests is important. Once you have found a true friend, it is worth holding on to that friendship. Friendships are not always easy, but they are worth the effort.
Good friends provide support, understanding, and unconditional love. They are there for you during the good times and the bad times. They will listen to you, offer advice, and help you to grow as a person.
“Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.”
“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
“When you are finished changing, you’re finished.”
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”
“To find out a girl’s faults, praise her to her girlfriends.”
“When you’re testing to see how deep water is, never use two feet.”
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
“A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.”
“Life’s biggest tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late”
“Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away”
We all have days when everything seems to go wrong. But if we take a step back and see the humor in our situation, we may find that our troubles aren’t as bad as they seem. Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and even pain.
It can boost our mood, improve our immune system, and help us to better cope with difficult situations.
“Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.”
“If Jack’s in love, he’s no judge of Jill’s beauty.”
“Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.”
“In the Affairs of this World Men are saved, not by Faith, but by the Lack of it.”
“Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.”
“Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.”
“We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!”
“If a man could have half of his wishes, he would double his troubles.”
“Speak ill of no man, but speak all the good you know of everybody.”
“While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”
What Benjamin Franklin is trying to say is that even though we can’t control everything that happens to us, we can control our reaction to it. We can choose to let things affect us negatively, or we can choose to learn from them and move on. It’s all about our perspective. If we can learn to control what happens inside us, we will be much better equipped to handle whatever life throws our way.
“Never leave till tomorrow that which you can do today.”
“The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.”
“Most people die at 25 and aren’t buried until they’re 75.”
“Work as if you were to live a thousand years, play as if you were to die tomorrow.”
“A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.”
“Security without liberty is called prison.”
“Contentment makes poor men rich; Discontent makes rich men poor.”
“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”
“All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move. ”
“Those things that hurt, instruct.”
The hurt we experience can teach us valuable lessons if we allow it to. It can show us our weaknesses and help us to become stronger people. It can also help us to empathize with others and to develop compassion. In short, the pain we go through can be a source of instruction if we let it be.
Let’s Wind Up…
Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents. Not only did he help shape the United States government, but he was also an accomplished author and scientist. His quotes are still relevant today, and they can teach us a lot about how to live our lives.
We should all strive to be like Benjamin Franklin and use his wisdom to make ourselves better people. Thanks for following along on this journey through the life of one of America’s most interesting figures!