“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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“For age and want save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day.”
— 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 source“Diligence is the mother of good luck.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Experience keeps a dear school, yet fools will learn in no other.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary sourceMore quotes by Benjamin Franklin →
“Never spend your money before you have it.”
— Thomas Jefferson Primary source“I am always in love.”
— Ernest Hemingway Primary source“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Disputed“We must be our own [friend] before we can be another’s.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source