Benjamin Franklin Giving Quotations

The painful Preacher, like a candle bright, Consumes himself in giving others Light.

I have heard that nothing gives an Author so great Pleasure, as to find his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors.

Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves; but I give it fair quarter, wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor, and to others who are within his sphere of action: and therefore, in many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life.

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. This sentence was much used in the Revolutionary period. It occurs even so early as November, 1755, in an answer by the Assembly of Pennsylvania to the Governor, and forms the motto of Franklin's "Historical Review," 1759, appearing also in the body of the work. -Frothingham: Rise of the Republic of the United States, p. 413.

People who are willing to give up freedom for the sake of short term security, deserve neither freedom nor security.

Hereafter, if you should observe an occasion to give your officers and friends a little more praise than is their due, and confess more fault than you can justly be charged with, you will only become the sooner for it, a great captain.

If we lose our Money, it gives us some Concern. If we are cheated or robb'd of it, we are angry: But Money lost may be found; what we are robb'd of may be restored: The Treasure of Time once lost, can never be recovered; yet we squander it as tho' 'twere nothing worth, or we had no Use for it....

Everybody's human-everybody makes mistakes. If you laugh it off and keep going and try to give it your best the next time around, people respect that.

If you give up your freedom for safety, you don't deserve either one

Annual giving is the custom of making a gift-a-year to an institution in which one has faith...

Give me yesterday's bread, this day's flesh, and last year's cider

That man alone loves himself rightly who procures the greatest possible good to himself through the whole of his existence and so pursues pleasure as not to give for it more than it is worth.

We may perhaps learn to deprive large masses of their gravity and give them absolute levity, for the sake of easy transport.

Anyone willing to give up liberty in exchange for security deserves neither.

He gives twice that gives soon, i.e., he will soon be called to give again.

You may give give a man office, but you cannot give him discretion

Why should I give my Readers bad lines of my own when good ones of other People's are so plenty?

Those who give up liberty for the sake of security, deserve neither liberty nor security.

If we give up freedom for security, we are in danger of losing both.

You never want to give up your liberty, even if you are told it is for security. The Patriot Act is a perfect example of giving up liberty for security. It says let us tap your phones so we can keep safe.

Liberality is not giving much, but giving wisely.

My List of Virtues contain'd at first but twelve: But a Quaker Friend having kindly inform'd me that I was generally thought proud; that my Pride show'd itself frequently in Conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any Point, but was overbearing & rather insolent; of which he convinc'd me by mentioning several Instances; - I determined endeavouring to cure myself ..., and I added Humility to my List, giving an extensive Meaning to the Word.

Those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security.

The best doctor gives the least medicines.

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

[T]he more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer . . . [taking] away from before their eyes the greatest of all inducements to industry, frugality, and sobriety, by giving them a dependence of somewhat else than a careful accumulation during youth and health for support in age and sickness.

Those who would give up liberty for safety deserve neither.

Who pleasure gives, Shall joy receive

Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have either one.

It is better to take many injuries than to give one.

He who gives up freedom for safety deserves neither.

Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.

We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.