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Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin Quotes

Founding Father of the United States

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Famous Benjamin Franklin Quotes

“Chess is so interesting in itself, as not to need the view of gain to induce engaging in it; and thence it is never played for money”

NeedsInterestingViewsGainsChessEngagingPlaying Chess
Book:The chess player: by George Walker; to which are added the three games played at one and the same time by Philidor; sixty openings, mates and situations, by W. S. Kenny, with remarks, anecdotes, &c. &c., and an explanation of the round chess board
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“The game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions, for life is a kind of chess.”

MindKindLife IsGamesQualityReadyHabitValuableChessOccasionsIdleAmusementChess GameAll Occasions
Book:An Easy Introduction to the Game of Chess: Containing One Hundred Examples of Games and a Great Variety of Critical Situations and Conclusions ; Including the Whole of Philidor's Analysis with Copious Selections from Stamma, the Calabrois, &c
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“By playing at Chess then, we may learn: First: Foresight... Second: Circumspection... Third: Caution...And lastly, we learn by Chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs, the habit of hoping for a favorable chance, and that of persevering in the secrets of resources”

FirstsMayStatesChanceSecretHabitResourcesThirdsAffairAppearanceChessCautionDiscouragedForesightPlaying ChessCircumspection
Author:Benjamin Franklin
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“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men.”

MenLifeLongLong TimeAffairProofFoundingConvincingOur Founding FathersReligious FreedomFounding Fathers ChristianUs Founding FathersFounding Fathers ReligionSparrowsFounding Fathers ReligiousAmerican Founding FathersFounding Fathers AtheistChristian HeritageReligion And GovernmentMorality And ReligionRevolution Founding FathersDeistConstitutional ConventionGod And CountryNational Day Of Prayer
Author:Benjamin Franklin
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“A man is not completely born until he is dead.”

MenDeathBornLife And DeathSympathyDeath Of A Loved OneBereavementCondolencesLove And LossLove And DeathNear DeathMy SympathyLoss Of A Loved OneLove DeathLove LossWords Of SympathySympathy CondolencesSympathy For LossDeath ComfortCondolences And SympathyDeath SympathyLoss Loved One InspirationalDealing With DeathDeath And LossDeath CondolencesWords Of CondolenceInspirational CondolencesInspirational SympathyFuneral CondolencesFuneral SympathyFamous CondolenceDeath And MourningDeath MourningHeaven And DeathMourning DeathFuneral Card
Book:The Works of Benjamin Franklin; Containing Several Political and Historical Tracts Not Included in Any Former Edition, and Many Letters, Official and Private, Not Hitherto Published; with Notes and a Life of the Author
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“Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy.”

HappinessVirtueVirtuousFrugalityIndustriousFrugalStudious
Book:Works of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin: consisting of his life, written by himself : together with essays, humourous, moral & literary, chiefly in the manner of the Spectator : in two volumes
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“That wise Men have in all Ages thought Government necessary for the Good of Mankind; and, that wise Governments have always thought Religion necessary for the well ordering and well-being of Society, and accordingly have been ever careful to encourage and protect the Ministers of it, paying them the highest publick Honours, that their Doctrines might thereby meet with the greater Respect among the common People.”

PeopleMenWellsHas BeensGovernmentMightAgeCommonGreaterWiseMankindProtectHighestCarefulDoctrineWell BeingMinistersHonour
Author:Benjamin Franklin
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“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.”

PeopleIfsMenGivingActionCasesShareComfortFairsAbsurdVanityProductiveThank GodQuartersDislikeSpheres
Book:Memoirs of the Life and Writings of (the Same), Continued to the Time of His Death by William Temple Franklin. - London, H. Colburn 1818
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“There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.”

MenWayLifeFirstsKindWarRealHandsSeemsThreeNationsWealthHonestIndustryThirdsMiracleIncreaseRewardsSeedsNeighborFavorsInnocentAcquireThrownCheatingFarmersVirtuousCommerceAgricultureFarmingHands Of GodRobberyThree WaysFarming And FarmersInnocent Life
Book:Memoirs of the life and writings of B.F. ...
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“But they have two other Rights; those of sitting when they please, and as long as they please, in which methinks they have the advantage of your Parliament; for they cannot be dissolved by the Breath of a Minister, or sent packing as you were the other day, when it was your earnest desire to have remained longer together.”

LongTwoTogetherDesireRightsPleaseSittingAdvantageBreathsCongressMinistersEarnestParliamentLegislaturePacking
Book:Memoirs of the life and writings of Benjamin Franklin ...
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“And as to the Cares, they are chiefly what attend the bringing up of Children; and I would ask any Man who has experienced it, if they are not the most delightful Cares in the World; and if from that Particular alone, he does not find the Bliss of a double State much greater, instead of being less than he expected.”

IfsMenWorldChildrenDoeStatesCareAsksFamilyGreaterParticularExpectedBlissDelightful
Book:Poor Richard's Almanack and Other Writings
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“[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.”

GivingMadeGovernmentEyeAgeCoursesPoorSupportYouthIndustryCarefulSpendingSicknessDependenceProvisionAccumulationSobrietyFrugalityGovernment Spending
Book:The Works of Benjamin Franklin
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“The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy.”

LawNationsEnjoyRightsPolicyOughtEqualAdvantagePrejudicePrivilegeProtectionFavorsOppressionEntitledMistakenRights And Privileges
Book:The Works of Benjamin Franklin: Containing Several Political and Historical Tracts Not Included in Any Former Edition, and Many Letters, Official and Private Not Hitherto Published
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“If by the liberty of the press were understood merely the liberty of discussing the propriety of public measures and political opinions, let us have as much of it as you please: But if it means the liberty of affronting, calumniating and defaming one another, I, for my part, own myself willing to part with my share of it, whenever our legislators shall please so to alter the law and shall chearfully consent to exchange my liberty of abusing others for the privilege of not being abused myself.”

IfsMeanLawPoliticalLibertyOpinionShareWillingPleaseUnderstoodPressesPrivilegeConsentDiscussingLegislatorsProprietyPolitical Opinions
Book:Memoirs of the life and writings of Benjamin Franklin ...
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