The Quotes of Benjamin Franklin

Born: 1/17/1706 12:00:00 AM Died: 4/17/1790 12:00:00 AM

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

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.

Work as if you were to live a hundred years; Pray as if you were to die tomorrow.

He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.

Scripture assures me, that at the last Day, we shall not be examined what we thought, but what we did; and our Recommendation will not be that we said 'Lord, Lord,' but that we did Good to our Fellow Creatures.

God helps them that help themselves.

Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; speak accordingly.

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Masonic labor is purely a labor of love. He who seeks to draw Masonic wages in gold and silver will be disappointed. The wages of a Mason are in the dealings with one another; sympathy begets sympathy, kindness begets kindness, helpfulness begets helpfulness, and these are the wages of a Mason.

Freemasonry, as a tradition, is built on the spoken word. It is a mystic tradition that has been passed down from lip to hear across the centuries. It acknowledges the power of language to transform the mind of the individual and even the course of history itself. Throughout history, great changes in civilizations and the rise and fall of empires have depended on a few words, spoken into the right ear at the right time. Freemasonry places great importance on remembering the thoughts of our ancestors. It is from these thoughts that we can learn how to navigate the maze of life and avoid the pitfalls that have entrapped the unfortunate. The Masons below have all contributed to the wisdom of the world and we have selected a small portion of their knowledge to be shared here to inspire, uplift and educate.