The 13 Virtues of Benjamin Franklin...>
1. Temperance...>
Eat not to dullness; Drink not to elevation.
2. Silence...>
Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order...>
Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution...>
Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality...>
Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i. e., waste nothing.
6. Industry...>
Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity...>
Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice...>
Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation...>
Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness...>
Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. Tranquility...>
Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity...>
Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your
own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility...>
Imitate Jesus and Socrates
Benjamin Franklin Quotes...>
Kill no more pigeons than you can eat.
Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account. --
The sleeping fox catches no poultry.
Energy and persistence conquer all thing.
A little neglect may breed great mischief.
Plough deep while sluggards sleep.
Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety."--
from the Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.
A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.
"There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than
that of defrauding the government."
"Never confuse motion with action."
"I think vital religion has always suffered when orthodoxy is more regarded than virtue. The
scriptures assure me that at the last day we shall not be examined on what we thought but what we
did." -- from a letter to his father, 1738
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 Roman Catholic Church, but
practiced it upon the Puritans. They found it wrong in Bishops, but fell into the practice themselves
both here (England) and in New England.
"I wish it (Christianity) were more productive of good works ... I mean real good works ... not
holy-day keeping, sermon-hearing ... or making long prayers, filled with flatteries and compliments
despised by wise men, and much less capable of pleasing the Deity."
Works, Vol. VII, p. 75
If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of.
They that will not be counseled, cannot be helped. If you do not hear reason she will rap you on the
knuckles.
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.
Read much, but not many books.
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.
Early morning hath gold in its mouth.
Whoever feels pain in hearing a good character of his neighbor, will feel a pleasure in the reverse.
And those who despair to rise in distinction by their virtues, are happy if others can be depressed to
a level of themselves.
Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.
To be thrown upon one's own resources, is to be cast into the very lap of fortune; for our faculties
then undergo a development and display an energy of which they were previously unsusceptible.
Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade.
To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy meals.
Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry, all things easy. He that rises late must trot all day, and
shall scarce overtake his business at night, while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon
overtakes him.
Five thousand balloons, capable of raising two men each, could not cost more than five ships of the
line; and where is the prince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense as
that 10,000 men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief
before a force could be brought together to repel them?
Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness.
The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it makes one. If it satisfies
one want, it doubles and trebles that want another way. That was a true proverb of the wise man,
rely upon it; "Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, and trouble therewith."
Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.
For the want of a nail, the shoe was lose; for the want of a shoe the horse was lose; and for the want
of a horse the rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for the want of care about a
horseshoe nail.
Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty, and supped with infamy.
He who multiplies riches multiplies cares.
Where sense is wanting, everything is wanting.
Well done is better than well said.
Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.
To find out a girl's faults, praise her to her girl friends.
If Jack's in love, he's no judge of Jill's beauty.
"Experience is a dear teacher, and only fools will learn from no other."
Poor Richard's Almanac
