Words of Wisdom From Benjamin Franklin
Several Selected Quotes From an Important Historical Figure
Aug 19, 2009
Benjamin Franklin is a well known for his intellectualism, work ethic, religious beliefs, contributions to society and position in politics, especially as an American founding father. Franklin invented bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the lightning rod; he also founded the first library in the United States. In his time, Franklin was respected as a scientist, inventor, position, political theorist, statesmen, soldier and diplomat.
With all of his accomplishments within society, it makes sense why one would benefit from reading Franklin’s words of wisdom. The following quotations illustrate Benjamin Franklin’s beliefs about work, society, knowledge, and politics. These quotes and the accompanying analysis may be usefully applied to one’s own life; encouraging success within business and social interaction.
Selected Quotations Illustrating Benjamin Franklin’s Understanding of Society
- "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."
- "When will mankind be convinced and agree to settle their difficulties by arbitration?"
- "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."
- "Human felicity is produced not as much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen as by little advantages that occur every day."
- "He that displays too often his wife and his wallet is in danger of having both of them borrowed."
Judging by these quotations, it seems as if Benjamin Franklin valued conformity within society and to some extent. His generalizations about favorable behavior and assertions regarding the importance of unity within society and politics seems to prefer collaboration over individualism. Franklin’s perspective gives insight into how he acted within society; making it easier to identify why he was so successful.
Selected Quotations Illustrating Benjamin Franklin’s Understanding of Knowledge and Humanity
- "Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody."
- "Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
- "Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
- "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days."
- "I conceive that the great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by false estimates they have made of the value of things."
- "In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires."
- "If a man could have half of his wishes, he would double his troubles."
Benjamin Franklin’s understanding of knowledge and humanity is both comical and intuitive. He implicitly acknowledges elements of human nature: individual’s tendency to use more than he or she needs, one’s constant strife toward an infinite mass of desires, and people’s tendency to gossip.
His realizations reveal his intellectual capacity to transform his observations into well supported theories. The aforementioned quotations illustrate how Franklin believed in the importance of progress and had fairly strict opinions regarding politeness and human integrity.
Selected Quotations Illustrating Benjamin Franklin’s Understanding of Success
- "To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions."
- "Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out."
- "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."
- "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
- "It is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness and I pronounce it as certain that there was never a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous."
It is clear that Benjamin Franklin had a positive outlook on life and valued perseverance, piety and achievement. Franklin’s success in life and his declarations emphasize, above all, the advantages of a positive mental attitude coupled with determination. Franklin strove to be an exceptional human being; he did not settle into an average existence instead, he made himself into a multifaceted and powerful individual.
For more quotations from a unique historical perspective, read some of Martin Luther King, Jr's quotations.
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