Lyssa Henry

One of the most influential and highly respected men in American history, complete with a household name and a less-than-excited face on the $100 bill, is none other than Benjamin Franklin. There are three places that most people quote from more than anything else written, at least in English. Those places are the Bible, the works of Shakespeare, and Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack.

The Almanac has been so popular, it even has its own variant of a greatest hits CD.

People quote the Almanack constantly and without thinking about it, but usually do not even know where the quote originated. Here I have 10 of the quotes most recognizable, at least to me, from Poor Richard’s Almanack:

1. “There are no fools so troublesome as those that have wit.”
2. “Wish not so much to live long, as live well.”
3. “Content makes poor men rich; Discontent makes rich men poor.”
4. “Death takes no bribes.”
5. “Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”
6. “He that lieth down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas.”
7. “Don’t throw Stones at your Neighbour’s, if your own Windows are Glass.”
8. “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
9. “Lost time is never found again.”
10. “Every Man For Himself.”

You may think as quickly as I do, “I had no idea Ben Franklin said that!” That, to me, is a very good way to tell that someone had a great influence on people. If people are still quoting something without knowing who said it. That something must have been very important. There are lots of quotes and proverbs that end with the same tag: -Unknown. We don’t know who said the things that impact us so greatly, but they sometimes make a visible difference in our lives.

When Franklin wrote all of the Almanacks that he did, he just wanted to help people. He wrote it without putting his name on it, which at least made it seem less like he needed affirmation for what he did and more like he just wanted to write something relatable that people could use and read. Franklin was a very accomplished man and he wrote those Almanacks for 25 years. He did many other things but I think that the most impactful thing he did without much recognition was the writing of those books. Every year the new one would come out full of helpful tips about the weather, about what to do when you are trying to save money, what the  constellations meant, and nearly countless other helpful things that people used daily.

As Franklin said in “The Way to Wealth or Poor Richard Improved,” “nothing gives an author so great pleasure, as to find his works respectfully quoted by others.” If Franklin had known how often his advice was quoted and taken into thought even now, I cannot even imagine how excited he would be. Personally, I know that if I found out my name would be known everywhere for hundreds of years, I would first take care to make the things I did would be good things for people to talk about, but second I would jump up and down with excitement that I was being recognized for the things I put all of my effort into. If I could make an impact on people the way Benjamin Franklin did, I would feel like I did something in my life very right.

Even though there is no way for him to know that he left such an inspiring legacy, I think that Benjamin Franklin proved that anyone can make a huge difference in the world, even the son of a candle-maker.