“He that builds before he counts the cost, acts foolishly; and he that counts before he builds, finds he did not count wisely.”
Benjamin Franklin
Poor Richard’s Almanack (Primary source)
Poor Richard’s Almanack stands as perhaps the most influential periodical in colonial America, embodying Benjamin Franklin’s genius for marrying practical wisdom with commercial success. Published annually from 1732 to 1758, the almanac reached into virtually every American household, selling some 10,000 copies yearly, an extraordinary circulation for its time.
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“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“For age and want save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Beware of little expenses, a small leak will sink a great ship.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is made of.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary sourceMore quotes by Benjamin Franklin →
“When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, an hundred.”
— Thomas Jefferson Primary source“We must be our own [friend] before we can be another’s.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
— Winston Churchill Disputed“Do not do that which you would not have known.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source