Ben Franklin on investing and compounding

Money makes money.  And the money that money makes, makes money. 

~ Benjamin Franklin

 

Benjamin Franklin on living and dying

Many people die at twenty-five and aren't buried until they are seventy-five.

~ Benjamin Franklin

 

Benjamin Franklin on trade

No nation was ever ruined by trade. 

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin on war, peace and self-improvement

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin on quality

The bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

~ Benjamin Franklin

(as quoted by Björn Fahlén in Quality First Investing: A checklist approach to finding and sitting tight in multibaggers)

Benjamin Franklin on persuasion

If you want to persuade, appeal to interest not to reason.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin on writing

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin: "let every new year find you a better man"

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin on change

When you are finished changing, you are finished.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
1912-1914

Ben Franklin on poverty

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.

~ Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
1912-1914

Benjamin Franklin on rebellion against tyranny

Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Ben Franklin on making excuses

I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.

~ Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin on happiness

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

~ Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin on life and death

Most men die at 25, we just don't bury them until they are 70.

~ Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin on the Constitution

I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such: because I think a General Government necessary for us, and there is no Form of Government but what may be a Blessing to the People if well-administred; and I believe farther that this is likely to be well administred for a Course of Years and can only end in Despotism as other Forms have done before it, when the People shall become so corrupted as to need Despotic Government, being incapable of any other.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
1870-1871

Ben Franklin on common sense

Common sense is something that everyone needs, few have, and none think they lack.

~ Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin on dissent

It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
1869

Benjamin Franklin on liberty and speech

Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech, a thing terrible to traitors.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
1918

Benjamin Franklin on the importance of ideas

Little minds think and talk about people.
Average minds think and talk about things and actions.
Great minds think and talk about ideas.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
1912-1914

Benjamin Franklin on how to behave

The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all others, charity.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
1912-1914