Advice to a Young Tradesman (Primary source)
In this compact masterpiece of American pragmatism, Franklin distilled the emerging commercial ethos of colonial society into memorable maxims that would echo through generations of entrepreneurial ambition. Written as a letter to a young merchant, the essay crystallized the Protestant work ethic into practical wisdom: “Time is money,” Franklin declared, coining a phrase that would become synonymous with American capitalism.
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“Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“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 sourceMore quotes by Benjamin Franklin →