Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Benjamin Franklin

Quote by Benjamin Franklin

Work

A Benjamin Franklin Reader

This reader includes a selection of Franklin's letters, essays, and other works, showcasing his wit, wisdom, and contributions to the fields of science, politics, and philosophy. more

Author

Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a prominent figure in American history, serving as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a statesman, scientist, inventor, and writer, born on January 17, 1706, and died on April 17, 1790. Franklin is renowned for his contributions to electricity, his support for the American colonial independence movement, and his successful diplomatic efforts in France. more

You May Also Like

“O gouvernment francais, I think it was not very clever of You to put this terrible doll in La Ferte; for when Governments are found dead there is always a little doll on top of them, pulling and tweaking with his little hands to get back at the microscopic knife which sticks firmly in the quiet meat of their hearts.”

ThinkingHeartLittlesHandsGovernmentFoundTerribleQuietSticksCleverMeatGet BackKnivesPullingDollsVery CleverLittle HandsFound Dead
Book:The Enormous Room
Create image

“It is the strain of walking around the world-down the street, riding city buses and elevators, moving from place to place to place-and not knowing who might want to destroy you, who might like to fill your heart with poison, who might rob you and stab you, who might stand above you in the dark with a tarantula.”

WorldWantHeartMightMovingDarkCitiesKnowingStreetsWalkingAround The WorldPoisonBusRidingNot KnowingStrainElevatorsTarantulasCity Bus
Book:The Boy Detective Fails
Create image

“People who have only good experiences aren't very interesting. They may be content, and happy after a fashion, but they aren't very deep. It may seem a misfortune now, and it makes things difficult, but well--it's easy to feel all the happy, simple stuff. Not that happiness is necessarily simple. But I don't think you're going to have a life like that, and I think you'll be the better for it. The difficult thing is to not be overwhelmed by the bad patches. You must not let them defeat you. You must see them as a gift--a cruel gift, but a gift nonetheless.”

PeopleThinkingLifeFeelsWellsMaySeemsEasyStuffDifficultSimpleInterestingFashionDefeatMisfortunesHappy LifeOverwhelmedLife And LoveVery InterestingPatchesDifficult ThingsVery DeepGood Experiences
Author:Peter Cameron
Create image

“Without love, loyalty, desires, passion, courage, dignities, faith, beliefs and all the other ingredients that go into making the human soul something so elevated that only God knows its limits, we are only shells bobbing aimlessly in a calm sea of mediocrity. ...And if you can figure that out, please write and explain it to me because you're a better man than I am.”

IfsKnowsMenWritingHumansSoulDesirePassionBeliefSeaFiguresPleaseLimitsDignityCalmLoyaltyIngredientsMediocrityShellsGod KnowsHuman SoulWithout LoveBetter ManOnly God KnowsLoyalty LoveCalm Seas
Author:Sylvester Stallone
Create image