Benjamin Franklin
Do not, however, mistake me. It is not to my good friend's heresy that I impute his honesty. On the contrary, 'tis his honesty that brought upon him the character of a heretic.Collection: Honesty
What one relishes, nourishes.Collection: Inspiration
He that sells upon Credit expects to lose 5 per Cent. By bad Debts; therefore he charges, on all he sells upon Credit, an Advance that shall make up that Deficiency.Collection: Credit
'Tis more noble to forgive, and more manly to despise, than to revenge an Injury.Collection: Revenge
Cheese and salt meat, should be sparingly eat.Collection: Health
Use now and then a little Exercise a quarter of an Hour before Meals, as to swing a Weight, or swing your Arms about with a small Weight in each Hand; to leap, or the like, for that stirs the Muscles of the Breast.Collection: Health
Love and toothache have many cures, but none infallible, except possession and dispossession.Collection: Love
A dying man can do nothing easy.Collection: Men
I say it is impossible that so sensible a people [citizens of Paris], under such circumstances, should have lived so long by the smoky, unwholesome, and enormously expensive light of candles, if they had really known that they might have had as much pure light of the sun for nothing.Collection: Science
The game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions, for life is a kind of chess.Collection: Games
Women are books, and men the readers be, Who sometimes in those books erratas see; Yet oft the reader's raptured with each line, Fair print and paper, fraught with sense divine; Tho' some, neglectful, seldom care to read, And faithful wives no more than bibles heed. Are women books? says Hodge, then would mine were An Almanack, to change her every year.Collection: Women
I imagine it great vanity in me to suppose that the Supremely Perfect does in the least regard such an inconsiderable nothing as man. More especially, since it is impossible for me to have any positive, clear idea of that which is infinite and incomprehensible, I cannot conceive otherwise than that He, the Infinite Father, expects or requires no worship or praise from us, but that He is even infinitely above it.Collection: God
The poor have little; beggars, none; the rich, too much; enough, not one.Collection: Humorous
The use of money is all the advantage there is in having money.Collection: Money
If you can't pay for a thing, don't buy it. If you can't get paid for it, don't sell it.Collection: Pay
To bear other people's afflictions, everyone has courage and enough to spare.Collection: People
To get the bad customs of a country changed and new ones, though better, introduced, it is necessary first to remove the prejudices of the people, enlighten their ignorance, and convince them that their interests will be promoted by the proposed changes; and this is not the work of a day.Collection: Country
Can anything be constant in a world which is eternally changing?Collection: World
Pay what you owe and you'll know what's your own.Collection: Pay
For the best return on your money, pour your purse into your head.Collection: Book
The most trifling actions that affect a man's credit are to be regarded. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning, or at nine at night, heard by a creditor, makes him easy six months longer; but if he sees you at the billiard-table, or hears your voice at a tavern, when you should be at work, he sends for his money the next day.Collection: Money
He that hath a Trade, hath an Estate.Collection: 4th Of July
Virtue and Happiness are Mother and Daughter.Collection: Mom
Nothing but Money, Is sweeter than Honey.Collection: Honey
While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.Collection: Flower
Perhaps the history of the errors of mankind, all things considered, is more valuable and interesting than that of their discoveries. Truth is uniform and narrow; it constantly exists, and does not seem to require so much an active energy, as a passive aptitude of the soul in order to encounter it. But error is endlessly diversified; it has no reality, but is the pure and simple creation of the mind that invents it. In this field the soul has room enough to expand herself, to display all her boundless faculties, and all her beautiful and interesting extravagancies and absurdities.Collection: Beautiful
If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, at the workingman's house hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the bailiff or the constable enter, for industry pays debts, while despair increaseth them.Collection: Organization
A perfect character might be attended with the inconvenience of being envied and hated; and that a benevolent man should allow a few faults in himself, to keep his friends in countenance.Collection: Character
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.Collection: Support
Cold & cunning come from the north: But cunning sans wisdom is nothing worth.Collection: Cold
Great talkers are little doers.Collection: Littles
Vicious actions are not hurtful because they are forbidden, but forbidden because they are hurtful.Collection: Hurtful
Wherever desirable superfluities are imported, industry is excited, and thereby plenty is produced. Were only necessaries permitted to be purchased, men would work no more than was necessary for that purpose.Collection: Men
Take Courage, Mortal; Death can't banish thee out of the Universe.Collection: Thee
Passion governs, and she never governs wisely.Collection: Passion
Would you persuade, speak of interest, not of reason.Collection: Speak
Men are subject to various inconveniences merely through lack of a small share of courage, which is a quality very necessary in the common occurrences of life, as well as in a battle. How many impertinences do we daily suffer with great uneasiness, because we have not courage enough to discover our dislike.Collection: Men
If you wouldn't live long, live well; for folly and wickedness shorten life.Collection: Happiness
On being asked what condition of man he considered the most pitiable: A lonesome man on a rainy day who does not know how to read.Collection: Rainy Day
My father's little library consisted chiefly of books in polemic divinity, most of which I read, and have since often regretted that, at a time when I had such a thirst for knowledge, more proper books had not fallen in my way since it was now resolved I should not be a clergyman.Collection: Father
The church, the state, and the poor, are 3 daughters which we should maintain, but not portion off.Collection: Daughter
The foundation of all happiness in thinking rightly.Collection: Thinking
I have conceived a higher opinion of the natural capacities of the black race than I had ever before entertained. Their apprehension seems as quick, their memory as strong, and their docility in every respect equal to that of white children.Collection: Strong
I know not which lives more unnatural lives, obeying husbands, or commanding wives.Collection: Husband
Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither.Collection: Freedom
He'll cheat without scruple, who can without fear.Collection: Cheating
I hope...that mankind will at length, as they call themselves reasonable creatures, have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats; for in my opinion there never was a good war, or a bad peace.Collection: Peace
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." He planned his routine around waking up at 5 a.m. and asking himself "What good shall I do this day?Collection: Wise