Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklinwas one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He facilitated many civic organizations, including...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth17 January 1706
CityBoston, MA
CountryUnited States of America
Quarrels never could last long, if on one side only lay the wrong.
Dally not with other folk's spouses or money.
We are not certain, we are never certain. If we were we could reach some conclusions, and we could, at last, make others take us seriously. In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
Justice is as strictly due between neighbor nations as between neighbor citizens.
I early found that when I worked for myself alone, myself alone worked for me; but when I worked for others also, others worked also for me.
He gives twice that gives soon, i.e., he will soon be called to give again.
A people who chose security over liberty will receive neither nor deserve either.
Rarely use Venery but for Health or Offspring; Never to Dulness, Weakness, or the Injury of your own or another's Peace or Reputation.
But in this world nothing is sure but death and taxes. [Fr., Mais dons ce monde, il n'y a rien d'assure que le mort et les impots.]
Virtue alone is sufficient to make a man great, glorious, and happy.
Hast thou virtue? acquire also the graces and beauties of virtue.
There is much money given to be laughed at, though the purchasers don't know it; witness A.'s fine horse, and B.'s fine house.
That man alone loves himself rightly who procures the greatest possible good to himself through the whole of his existence and so pursues pleasure as not to give for it more than it is worth.
The riches of a country are to be valued by the quantity of labor its inhabitants are able to purchase, and not by the quantity of silver and gold they possess; which will purchase more or less labor, and therefore is more or less valuable, as is said before, according to its scarcity or plenty.