100 Best Quotes of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, born on January 17, 1706, and passing on April 17, 1790, was not only one of the founding fathers of the United States but also a polymath who made significant contributions across various fields including science, politics, and literature. A man of exceptional wisdom, Franklin’s legacy is immortalized through his writings and the profound quotes he left behind. His family, especially his illegitimate son William Franklin who became a Loyalist Governor of New Jersey, played intricate roles in the fabric of American history. Franklin’s contributions to society, whether through his inventions, his role in shaping the Declaration of Independence, or his influence in the realm of education and libraries, have left an indelible mark on the world. His quotes, brimming with wit and wisdom, continue to inspire and guide individuals in their personal growth, interpersonal relations, and understanding of societal values.
Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Personal Virtues and Growth
Benjamin Franklin’s insights on personal virtues and growth are timeless treasures that encourage the pursuit of knowledge, the development of character, and the cultivation of ethics and wisdom. His belief in self-improvement and lifelong learning shines through his words, offering guidance for personal development and societal contribution.
5 Best Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Character
“A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.”
“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.”
“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”
“Honesty is the best policy.”
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
5 Best Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Education
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
“Genius without education is like silver in the mine.”
“Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.”
“Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man.”
5 Best Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Knowledge
“The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.”
“Knowledge is power, knowledge shared is power multiplied.”
“To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.”
“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
“The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance.”
5 Best Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Intelligence
“The truest wisdom is a resolute determination.”
“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do.”
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
“Beauty and folly are old companions.”
“Applause waits on success.”
5 Best Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Wisdom
“Wise men don’t need advice. Fools won’t take it.”
“The doors of wisdom are never shut.”
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
“Lost time is never found again.”
“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Virtue
“Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.”
“A small leak will sink a great ship.”
“Well done is better than well said.”
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
“A true friend is the best possession.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Ethics
“Do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you.”
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
“There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.”
“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Morality
“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
“Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful.”
“None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing.”
“A lie stands on one leg, the truth on two.”
5. “Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Courage
“Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
“Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”
“Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Hard Work
“Diligence is the mother of good luck.”
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
“Industry need not wish, and he who lives upon hope will die fasting.”
“Plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep.”
“Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Excellence
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
“There are no gains without pains.”
“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”
“He that rises late must trot all day.”
“The best doctor gives the least medicines.”
In concluding the section on personal virtues and growth, Benjamin Franklin’s quotes remind us that personal development is a journey that encompasses not just the acquisition of knowledge, but the cultivation of virtues such as wisdom, courage, and ethical behavior. Franklin’s life and words offer a blueprint for personal excellence and societal contribution, encouraging us to pursue lifelong learning and to apply our knowledge and virtues in service to our communities.
Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Interpersonal Relations and Inner Life
Benjamin Franklin’s wisdom also extends to the intricacies of interpersonal relations and the depths of the inner life. His observations and advice on love, happiness, and friendship emphasize the importance of empathy, trust, and genuine connection in building meaningful relationships and fostering a supportive community.
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Love
“Where there’s marriage without love, there will be love without marriage.”
“Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.”
“He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.”
“There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.”
“Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Happiness
“Happiness consists more in conveniences of pleasure that occur everyday than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom.”
“The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.”
“To be happy, one must have a good stomach and a bad heart.”
“Contentment makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Soul
“A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”
“Fear not death for the sooner we die, the longer we shall be immortal.”
“Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.”
“The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.”
“To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Empathy
“No one knows what he can do till he tries.”
“Whoever would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”
“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.”
“He that cannot sympathize with others, and feel joy with them in their joys, nor sorrow in their sorrows, is but a brute without a heart.”
“We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Trust
“He that’s secure is not safe.”
“Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”
“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.”
“An open foe may prove a curse, but a pretended friend is worse.”
“Jealousy is the worst of faults, for it makes the fault it fears.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Friendship
“A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
“Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.”
3. “True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.”
“Adversity is the mother of wisdom.”
“Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them.”
In wrapping up the section on interpersonal relations and inner life, Benjamin Franklin’s quotes serve as a reminder of the fundamental values that sustain human connections. Through love, empathy, trust, and friendship, Franklin’s words inspire us to cultivate deeper relationships and a richer inner life. His teachings encourage us to look beyond the surface, to engage with others genuinely, and to contribute to a community that values understanding and compassion.
Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Societal Values and Governance
Benjamin Franklin’s thoughts on societal values and governance reflect his deep understanding of the complexities of society and the importance of just and effective governance. His quotes offer insights into democracy, justice, and the responsibilities of both leaders and citizens, emphasizing the importance of active participation in shaping a fair and equitable society.
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Society
“Where liberty dwells, there is my country.”
“To pour forth benefits for the common good is divine.”
“Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.”
“We must all hang together, or assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Justice
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
“Wrong done to one is a threat made to all.”
“He that would live in peace and at ease must not speak all he knows or all he sees.”
“Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed.”
“Delay is preferable to error.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Democracy
“In free governments, the rulers are the servants, and the people their superiors and sovereigns.”
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Constitution
“A constitution is likely to be enduring if it is short and obscure.”
“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Leadership
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
“He that cannot obey, cannot command.”
“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.”
“Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new projects. The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forced by the occasion.”
“If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Politics
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain – and most fools do.”
“Political freedom includes the notion of personal freedom.”
“The first responsibility of every citizen is to question authority.”
“Fear is the foundation of most governments.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Government
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
“The best way to see faith is to shut the eye of Reason.”
“The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.”
“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Law
“Laws without enforcement are just good advice.”
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
“Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.”
4. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
“He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows nor judge all he sees.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Power
“Power is not alluring to pure minds and is not with them a principle of action.”
“There is a natural inclination in mankind to kingliness.”
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
“The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war.”
“Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Community
“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”
“To do good is my religion.”
“The greatest monarch on the proudest throne is obliged to sit upon his own arse.”
“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.”
“We must, indeed, all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
Best 5 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Cultural Awareness
“Traveling to new places is a way to expand one’s mind and see the world from different perspectives.”
“The refusal of King George III to allow the colonies to operate an honest money system, which freed the ordinary man from the clutches of the money manipulators, was probably the prime cause of the revolution.”
“Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.”
“A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.”
“Every man has three faithful friends: an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.”
In summarizing the section on societal values and governance, Benjamin Franklin’s quotes encapsulate the essence of what it means to participate actively in society and governance. His words inspire us to question authority, to value liberty and justice, and to understand the balance of power in the context of community and cultural awareness. Franklin’s insights remain as relevant today as they were in his time, guiding us toward a more just, informed, and civic-minded society.
Final Words on Benjamin Franklin Quotes
Benjamin Franklin’s wisdom, distilled into 100 quotes across varied themes, stands as a testament to his multifaceted legacy. From personal virtues to societal governance, his words echo through time, offering guidance, inspiration, and reflection. Franklin’s contributions extend beyond the establishment of the United States; they offer a blueprint for personal growth, interpersonal harmony, and civic responsibility. In embracing his insights, we find timeless lessons on how to navigate the complexities of life, foster meaningful connections, and contribute positively to our communities. Franklin’s legacy, encapsulated in his enduring quotes, reminds us of the value of wisdom, the importance of virtue, and the power of community. As we reflect on his teachings, let us strive to embody the virtues he espoused, for in doing so, we honor one of history’s greatest minds and most influential figures.
