What were famous quotes by Benjamin Franklin?

Answer 1

He had many, many, many famous quotations. He even had his own "almanack" (so to speak in Old English). Here's one of my favorites:

"Fish and visitors smell in three days."

Answer 2

Here are some quotations suggested by our contributors: [Beware, however, that some sayings were uttered at various times and in slightly varying ways. If you are looking for a quote on a particular subject, I would recommend using a famous quotes website or asking a specific question on WA. Do not trust any quotation site that does not give sources. I recommend Wikiquote.]

• A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.
• A good conscience is a continual Christmas.
• A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.
• All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse.
• All would live long, but none would be old.
• Anger is never without Reason, but seldom with a good One.
• At 20 years of age the will reigns, at 30 the wit, at 40 the judgment.
• Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.
• Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.
• Beware of the young doctor and the old barber.
• Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.
• Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.
• Drive thy business or it will drive thee.
• Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
• 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.
• Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure.
• Energy and persistence conquer all things.
• Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
• Glass, china, and reputation are easily cracked, and never well mended.
• God heals, and the doctor takes the fees.
• Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.
• He is ill clothed that is bare of virtue.
• He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face.
• He that can have patience can have what he will.
• He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
• He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
• He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.
• He that lives upon hope will die fasting.
• He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows nor judge all he sees.
• A penny saved is a penny earned.
• Ill customs and bad advice are seldom forgotten.
• Fish and visitors stink after 3 days.
• Eat few suppers and you'll need few medicines.
• Who has deceived thee so oft as thy self.
• Well done is better than well said.
• "Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one." - Poor Richard's Almanack, July 1753
• "Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but nothing in this world is certain except death and taxes."
• "Good sense is a thing all need, few have, and none think they [lack]." - Poor Richard's Almanack, June 1746
• "Creditors have better memories than debtors." - Poor Richard's Almanack, September 1736.
• "If you'd not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing." - Poor Richard's Almanack, May 1738
• "Sloth (like rust) consumes faster than labor wears; the used key is always bright." - Poor Richard's Almanack, July 1744
• Applause waits on success.
• When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, 'tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.
• The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason: The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put out your Candle.

  -- Benjamin Franklin, the incompatibility of faith and reason, Poor Richard's Almanack (1758)

• I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies.

  -- Benjamin Franklin, quoted from Victor J Stenger, Has Science Found God? (2001)

• Many a long dispute among divines may be thus abridged: It is so; It is not so. It is so; it is not so. -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1743
• If we look back into history for the character of the present sects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not in their turns been persecutors, and complainers of persecution. The primitive Christians thought persecution extremely wrong in the pagans, but practiced it on one another. The first Protestants of the Church of England blamed persecution in the Romish Church, but practiced it upon the Puritans. These found it wrong in the bishops, but fell into the same practice themselves both here and in New England. -- Benjamin Franklin, An Essay on Toleration
• The bell ringing for church, we went thither immediately, and with hearts full of gratitude, returned sincere thanks to God for the mercies we had received: were I a Roman Catholic, perhaps I should on this occasion vow to build a chapel to some saint, but as I am not, if I were to vow at all, it should be to build a light-house. -- Benjamin Franklin, letter to his wife, 17 July 1757; often misquoted as "Lighthouses are more helpful than churches."
• He [the Rev Mr. Whitefield] used, indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard. -- Benjamin Franklin, from Franklin's Autobiography
• A little Religion, and a little Honesty, goes a great way in Courts. -- Benjamin Franklin, comparing the politicized clergyman with the regular clergyman, a thing which a few have ventured to do in recent times (Ahem!), quoted in The New England Currant (July 23, 1722), "Silence Dogood, No. 9; Corruptio optimi est pessima." quoted from The History Carper
• [Excerpt]: "But the most dangerous Hypocrite in a Commonwealth, is one who leaves the Gospel for the sake of the Law: A Man compounded of Law and Gospel, is able to cheat a whole Country with his Religion, and then destroy them under Colour of Law: And here the Clergy are in great Danger of being deceiv'd, and the People of being deceiv'd by the Clergy, until the Monster arrives to such Power and Wealth, that he is out of the reach of both, and can oppress the People without their own blind Assistance." -- Benjamin Franklin, comparing the politicized clergyman with the regular clergyman, a thing which a few have ventured to do in recent times (Ahem!), quoted in The New England Currant (July 23, 1722), "Silence Dogood, No. 9; Corruptio optimi est pessima." quoted from The History Carper.
• [Passage]: "This Political Description of a Hypocrite, may (for ought I know) be taken for a new Doctrine by some of your Readers; but let them consider, that a little Religion, and a little Honesty, goes a great way in Courts. 'Tis not inconsistent with Charity to distrust a Religious Man in Power, tho' he may be a good Man; he has many Temptations "to propagate publick Destruction for Personal Advantages and Security:" And if his Natural Temper be covetous, and his Actions often contradict his pious Discourse, we may with great Reason conclude, that he has some other Design in his Religion besides barely getting to Heaven.
• And it is a sad Observation, that when the People too late see their Error, yet the Clergy still persist in their Encomiums on the Hypocrite; and when he happens to die for the Good of his Country, without leaving behind him the Memory of one good Action, he shall be sure to have his Funeral Sermon stuff'd with Pious Expressions which he dropt at such a Time, and at such a Place, and on such an Occasion; than which nothing can be more prejudicial to the Interest of Religion, nor indeed to the Memory of the Person deceas'd. The Reason of this Blindness in the Clergy is, because they are honourably supported (as they ought to be) by their People, and see nor feel nothing of the Oppression which is obvious and burdensome to every one else." -- Benjamin Franklin, comparing the politicized clergyman with the regular clergyman, a thing which a few have ventured to do in recent times (Ahem!), quoted in The New England Currant (July 23, 1722), "Silence Dogood, No. 9; Corruptio optimi est pessima." quoted from The History Carper, critical editing for readability and PAM Style Sheet conformity is ©2003 Cliff Walker

• Indeed, when religious people quarrel about religion, or hungry people quarrel about victuals, it looks as if they had not much of either among them. -- Benjamin Franklin quoted Joseph Joseph Lewis, "Benjamin Franklin -- Freethinker"
• In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. -- Benjamin Franklin (attributed: source unknown)
• They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania. "This sentence was much used in the Revolutionary period. It occurs even so early as November, 1755, in an answer by the Assembly of Pennsylvania to the Governor, and forms the motto of Franklin's 'Historical Review,' 1759, appearing also in the body of the work." -- Frothingham: Rise of the Republic of the United States,p. 413.
• Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. -- Benjamin Franklin(attributed: source unknown)
• We must hang together, gentlemen ... else, we shall most assuredly hang separately. -- Benjamin Franklin(attributed: source unknown)
• "Hide not your talents. For use they were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"
• Snug as a bug in a rug.

There are several, Benjamin Franklin was a genius. Here are a few that I've heard...

• "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
• "Where liberty dwells, there is my country."
• "He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas."
• "If you would not be forgotten

  As soon as you are dead and rotten,

  Either write things worthy reading,

  Or do things worth the writing."

• "Never confuse motion with action."
• "This will be the best security for maintaining our liberties. A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins." [Not by Franklin; written by Dr. Henry Stuber]
• "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." [Not by Franklin; written by Dale Carnegie]
• "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
• "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."
• "He's a fool who cannot conceal his wisdom."
• "There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and more frequently fall than that of defrauding the government."
• I'd also encourage you to read his essay, "Advice on Choosing a Mistress." It's spectacular.

Answer 3

Here are some Benjamin Franklins famous quotes:

1. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
2. It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.
3. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
4. Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.
5. They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
6. Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.
7. Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
8. We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.

Answer 4

There are not one, but many. One most people use that they do not know is attributed to him is "snug as a bug in a rug." Some more Franklin quotations may be seen at the link below.

Answer 5

one of his sayings is "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"

Answer 6

There are many sayings by him, or attributed to him. One is: A penny saved is a penny earned.

Answer 7

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, & wise

Answer 8

Ben Franklin has said: ""An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."" and ""Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.""

Answer 9

Head em up, load em out!