“In time perhaps Mankind may be wise enough to let Trade take its own Course, find its own Channels, and regulate its own Proportions, &c. At present, most of the Edicts of Princes, Placaerts, Laws and Ordinances of Kingdoms and States, for that purpose, prove political Blunders. The Advantages they produce not being general for the Commonwealth, but particular, to private Persons or Bodies in the State who procur’d them, and at the expense of the rest of the People.” – Benjamin Franklin, “Letter to Peter Collinson” (April 30, 1764) (emphases in original)
“First of all, voting is your civic duty. There’s a debate about whether or not a journalist should openly subscribe to a political ideology (let alone donate to a campaign), but that’s a debate between newsrooms and editors, and its conclusion should be clearly expressed to the readers. Second, don’t ever tell a journalist what to do. Journalists are strange and stubborn folk (and miserable drinking companions). We spend much of our time locked in our own minds trying not to screw up. Most of us are not paid enough to deal with a sea of faceless voices threatening to rape us, and/or our mothers, and/or our dead relatives, and/or our pets because some jackass on the other side of the country misquoted a city arborist. We’re all keenly aware that anytime one of us screws up in the slightest there’s a sea of assholes bellowing about media bias across the political spectrum. A good journalist is a civil servant. We do shit work, for shit pay, and constantly get shit on. We lay our lives on the line to bring you the information you need to make rational decisions. A good journalist has opinions because they’re human, but they should be hard to figure out.” – Dominic Gwinn, “The Smoke Eater” (March 3, 2020)
“The Church People and the Puritans in a Country Town, had once a bitter Contention concerning the Erecting of a Maypole, which the former desir’d and the latter oppos’d. Each Party endeavour’d to strengthen itself by obtaining the Authority of the Mayor, directing or forbidding a Maypole. He heard their Altercation with great Patience, and then gravely determin’d thus; You that are for having no Maypole shall have no Maypole; and you that are for having a Maypole shall have a Maypole. Get about your Business and let me hear no more of this Quarrel.” – Benjamin Franklin, “Letter to David Hume” (May 19, 1762)
“Who is wise? He that learns from every One.
Who is powerful? He that governs his Passions.
Who is rich? He that is content.
Who is that? Nobody.”
– Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1755
“Where there is Hunger, Law is not regarded; and where Law is not regarded, there will be Hunger.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1755
“In Rivers & bad Governments, the lightest Things swim at top.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1754
“The first Degree of Folly, is to conceit one’s self wise; the second to profess it; the third to despise Counsel.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1754
“The Good-will of the Governed will be starv’d, if not fed by the good Deeds of the Governors.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1753
“Success has ruin’d many a Man.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1752
“Children and Princes will quarrel for Trifles.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1752
“Mankind are very odd Creatures: One Half censure what they practise, the other half practise what they censure; the rest always say and do as they ought.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1752
“There are three things extremely hard, Steel, a Diamond and to know one’s self.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1750
“ ‘Tis not improbable that a Man may receive more solid Satisfaction from Pudding, while he is living, than from Praise, after he is dead.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1750 (emphases in original)
“9 men in 10 are suicides.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Improved, 1749
“Pardoning the Bad, is injuring the Good.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1748
“How the future manifests itself and brings to pass what it holds is a multifaceted phenomenon that is not necessarily guided by theoretical forces or mathematical models. Instead, causal agents that engender knowing and purposeful human behavior, individual and collective, fundamentally shape that narrative.” – Judge Victor Marrero, State of New York v. Deutsche Telecom (February 10, 2020)
“One Man may be more cunning than another, but not more cunning that every body else.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1745
“There are no fools so troublesome as those that have wit.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1745
“No gains without pains.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1745
“Where there’s no Law, there’s no Bread.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1744
“Death takes no bribes.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1742
“Wish not so much to live long as to live well.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1738
“Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1738
“Let thy vices die before thee.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1738
“If you wou’d not be forgotten As soon as you are dead and rotten, Either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1738
“Who has deceiv’d thee so oft as thyself?” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1738
“There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1738
“The noblest question in the world is What Good may I do in it?” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1737 (emphasis in original)
“The greatest monarch on the proudest throne, is oblig’d to sit upon his own arse.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1737
“He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1736