Quotes from Benjamin Franklin

Most fools think they are only ignorant.

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

If dost thou love life, then Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says.

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

If you would know the worth of money, go and try to borrow some.

Quien renuncia a su libertad por seguridad, no merece ni libertad ni seguridad

The most exquisite Folly is made of Wisdom spun too fine.

Imitate Jesus and Socrates

You have on hand those things that you need if you have but the wit and wisdom to use them.

the Existence of Deity, that he made the World, and govern'd it by his Providence; that the most acceptable Service of God was the doing Good to Man; that our Souls are immortal; and that all Crime will be punished and Virtue rewarded either here or hereafter...

There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war...This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.

In reality there is perhaps no one of our natural Passions so hard to subdue as Pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will now and then peek out and show itself.

Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it makes one.

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

The used key is always bright.

There never was a good war or a bad peace.

some books against Deism fell into my hands ... it happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quote to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough Deist.

If your head is made of wax, don't walk in the sun.

He that composes himself is wiser than he that composes books.

Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no ambition corrupt thee, to do anything which thou knowest to be evil; so shalt thou always live jollily; for a good conscience is a continual Christmas.

Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee. Poor Richard

Persons of good sense, I have since observed, seldom fall into disputation, except lawyers, university men, and men of all sorts that have been bred at Edinburgh.

You will observe with concern how long a useful truth may be known, and exist, before it is generally received and practiced on.

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