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Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790
Writer, Philosopher, Politician, Scientist, Inventor, Statesman, Founding Father of the United States
        
 Great Truths       
           

Honesty is the best policy.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do.

Half a truth is often a great lie.

A place for everything, everything in its place.

Lost time is never found again.

God helps those who help themselves.

A true Friend is the best Possession.

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.

When in doubt, don't.

Moderation in all things - including moderation.

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.

Diligence is the mother of good luck.

The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.

Well done is better than well said. 

Life's trajedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.

There are no gains without pains. 

Haste makes Waste.

What you seem to be, be really.

Pardoning the Bad, is injuring the Good.

Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. 

Justice is as strictly due between neighboring nations as between neighbor citizens.

He that lies down with Dogs, shall rise up with fleas.

Better slip with foot than tongue.

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander Time, for that's the Stuff Life is made of.

Wish not so much to live long as to live well.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.

Righteousness, or justice, is, undoubtedly of all the virtues, the surest foundation on which to create and establish a new state. But there are two nobler virtues, industry and frugality, which tend more to increase the wealth, power and grandeur of the community, than all the others without them. 

Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting. 

He that hath a trade hath an estate, and he that hath a calling hath an office of Profit and Honor: but then the trade must be worked out, and the calling followed, or neither the Estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. 

If we are industrious, we shall never starve: for at the working man’s house hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the bailiff or the Constable enter, for industry pays his debts, while idleness and neglect increase them. 

It is wonderful how preposterously the affairs of the world are managed. We have several apartments and councils to have the benefit of collective wisdom, but we necessarily have, at the same time, the inconvenience of their collective passions, prejudices and private interests: for regulating commerce and assembly of great men is the greatest fool on earth. 

The use of money is all the advantage there is in having money. 

Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom: no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech: which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another: and this is the only check it ought to suffer and the only bounds it ought to know. Whosoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by stopping the freedom of speech, a terrible thing to traitors. 

There are two ways of being happy: we must either diminish or wants or augment our means. Either may do: the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier

Remember the Time is money. Remember that credit is money. Remember that money is of the prolific generating nature. Remember that 6 pounds a year is about a Grot a day. Remember the saying, a good pair is Lord of another man’s purse. He that is known to pay punctually and exactly to the time he promises, me at any time, and on any occasion, raise all the money his friends can spare. In short the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as a way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality: that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. 

If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. 

The eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine clothes, fine houses, nor fine furniture.

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