Benjamin Franklin Quotes

A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

The wise person finds enemies more useful than the fool does friends .

There is no accident so unfortunate but wise men will make some advantage of it, nor any so entirely fortunate but fools may turn it to their own prejudice.

In growing old, we become more foolish - and more wise.

Nothing is as dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is to be preferred.

The wise learn many things from their enemies.

Affliction comes to us all, not to make us sad, but sober; not to make us sorry, but to make us wise; not to make us despondent, but by its darkness to refresh us as the night refreshes the day; not to impoverish, but to enrich us

Wise men learn by others' harms, fools scarcely by their own.

Wealth is the slave of a wise man. The master of a fool.

Many years ago a very wise man named Bernard Baruch took me aside and put his arm around my shoulder. "Harpo my boy," he said, "I'm going to give you three pieces of advice, three things you should always remember." My heart jumped and I glowed with expectation. I was going to hear the magic password to a rich, full life from the master himself. "Yes sir?" I said. And he told me the three things. I regret that I've forgotten what they were.

Whose work is it but your own to open your eyes? But indeed the business of the universe is to make such a fool out of you that you will know yourself for one, and begin to be wise.

Praise has different effects, according to the mind it meets with; it makes a wise man modest, but a fool more arrogant, turning his weak brain giddy.

The most important thing in life is not simply to capitalize on your gains. Any fool can do that. The important thing is to profit from your losses. That requires intelligence, and makes the difference between a man of sense and a fool.

Even a queen stubs her toe, but a wise woman watches the path.

Wise men are able to make a fitting use even of their enmities.

Get a friend to tell you your faults, or better still, welcome an enemy who will watch you keenly and sting you savagely. What a blessing such an irritating critic will be to a wise man, what an intolerable nuisance to a fool!

After crosses and losses men grow humbler and wiser.

No accidents are so unlucky [bad] but that the wise may draw some advantage [good] from them.

Even the hard times are part of your life story. If you acknowledge them and move past them, they eventually add up to the experience that makes you wise.

I always had the sense with her that she didn't suffer fools gladly but that life was taking great pains to show her how.

The disadvantage of becoming wise is that you realize how foolish you've been.

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.

A wise man who stands firm is a statesman, a foolish man who stands firm is a catastrophe.

Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath. Every moment is the guru.

We all suffer. If a man's wise, he learns from it.