Quote Authority: Quotes made famous by Ben Franklin

Here are some quotations that Benjamin Franklin have made famous...Ben was one of the greatest thinkers of all time.

Ben Franklin Quotes...

"The game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement. Several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired or strengthened by it, so as to become habits, ready on all occasions."
"If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it away from him. An investment of knowledge always pays the best interest."
I think opinions should be judged by their influences and effects; and if a man holds none that tend to make him less virtuous or more vicious, it may be concluded that he holds none that are dangerous, which I hope is the case with me.
He that would live in peace and at ease, Must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.
I believe there is one Supreme most perfect being. ... I believe He is pleased and delights in the happiness of those He has created; and since without virtue man can have no happiness in this world, I firmly believe He delights to see me virtuous.
If Men are so wicked as we now see them with Religion what would they be if without it?
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
"Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power."
We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
There never was a good war or a bad peace.
I've lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing Proofs I see of this Truth — That God governs in the Affairs of Men.
Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. {Letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy (1789-11-13)}
I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. {On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor (1766-11-29)}
As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupt changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some Doubts as to his divinity; tho' it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and I think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an Opportunity of knowing the Truth with less Trouble
Would you live with ease? Do what you ought, not what you please.
You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns, Nor enjoy fair wife without danger of horns.
Don't value a man for the Quality he is of, but for the Qualities he possesses.
Teach your child to hold his tongue, he'll learn fast enough to speak.
He that cannot obey, cannot command.
He that is rich need not live sparingly, and he that can live sparingly need not be rich.
Marry your Son when you will, but your Daughter when you can.
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the Philosophers-Stone.
Diligence is the mother of Good-Luck.
God helps them that help themselves.
God heals, and the Doctor takes the Fees.
He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.
A good Lawyer is a bad Neighbour.
Certainlie these things agree, the Priest, the Lawyer, & Death all three: Death takes both the weak and the strong. The lawyer takes from both right and wrong, and the priest from the living and the dead has his Fee.
The noblest question in the world is What Good may I do in it?
If you wou'd not be forgottenAs soon as you are dead and rotten,Either write things worth reading,Or do things worth the writing.
Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.
Reading makes a full Man, Meditation a profound Man, discourse a clear Man.
Eat to please thyself, but dress to please others.
Each year one vicious habit rooted out,In time might make the worst Man good throughout.
There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self.
There will be sleeping enough in the Grave.
Lost Time is never found again; and what we call Time-enough, always proves little enough: Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the Purpose; so by Diligence shall we do more with less Perplexity. Sloth makes all Things difficult, but Industry all easy.
You may delay, but Time will not.
To serve the Publick faithfully, and at the same time please it entirely, is impracticable.
To get over this, my Way is, to divide half a Sheet of Paper by a Line into two Columns, writing over the one Pro, and over the other Con. Then during three or four Days Consideration I put down under the different Heads short Hints of the different Motives that at different Times occur to me for or against the Measure. When I have thus got them all together in one View, I endeavour to estimate their respective Weights; and where I find two, one on each side, that seem equal, I strike them both out: If I find a Reason pro equal to some two Reasons con, I strike out the three. If I judge some two Reasons con equal to some three Reasons pro, I strike out the five; and thus proceeding I find at length where the Ballance lies; and if after a Day or two of farther .Consideration nothing new that is of Importance occurs on either side, I come to a Determination accordingly.
One today is worth two tomorrows.
Our critics are our friends, they show us our faults.
Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.
The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished.
We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing.
A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.
A penny saved is a penny earned.
A small leak can sink a great ship.
Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.