Benjamin Franklin Quotes

“The English love an insult. It's their only test of a man's sincerity.”

“I am what I am and that's all that I am and if I'm supposed to be somebody else, why do I look like me?”

“Nothing is more fatal to health than an over care of it.”

“One of the greatest tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a gang of brutal facts.”

“He that cannot obey, cannot command.”

“Thinking aloud is a habit which is responsible for most of mankind's misery.”

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

“If you, do what you should not, you must bear what you would not.”

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

“My rule, in which I have always found satisfaction, is, never to turn aside in public affairs through views of private interest; but to go straight forward in doing what appears to me right at the time, leaving the consequences with Providence.”

“Little minds think and talk about people.Average minds think and talk about things and actions.Great minds think and talk about ideas.”

“One good husband is worth two good wives, for the scarcer things are, the more they are valued.”

“Well done is better than well said.”

“Half-wits talk much, but say little.”

“To inquisitive minds like yours and mine the reflection that the quantity of human knowledge bears no proportion to the quantity of human ignorance must be in one view rather pleasing, viz., that though we are to live forever we may be continually amused and delighted with learning something new.”

“The good will of the governed will be starved if not fed by the good deeds of the governors.”

“Even peace may be purchased at too high a price.”

“The man who does things makes mistakes, but he doesn't make the biggest mistake of all-doing nothing.”

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”

“A father's a treasure; a brother's a comfort; a friend is both.”

“There are three sorts of people in the world: Those who are immovable, people who don't get it, or don't want to do anything about it; there are people who are movable, people who see the need for change and are prepared to listen to it; and there are people who move, people who make things happen.”

“This gave me occasion to observe, that when Men are employ'd they are best contented. For on the Days they work'd they were good-natur'd and chearful; and with the consciousness of having done a good Days work they spent the Evenings jollily; but on the idle Days they were mutinous and quarrelsome, finding fault with their Pork, the Bread, and in continual ill-humour. (Autobiography, 1771)”

“Write with the learned, pronounce with the vulgar.”

“Don't judge men's wealth or godliness by their Sunday appearance.”

“Do not fear mistakes.”