As American As You Can Get

In honor of Independence Day, July Fourth, Great Americans, Founding Fathers and Rugged Individualism, I cut and pasted several quotables from Benjamin Franklin. Franklin's influence on American life, culture, and thinking is still felt and will probably not come to an end soon.

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.

A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.

A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.

A small leak can sink a great ship.

Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.

All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.

All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones.

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.

At twenty years of age the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgment.

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.

Beauty and folly are old companions.

Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Beware the hobby that eats.

Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.

Diligence is the mother of good luck.

Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them.

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.

Even peace may be purchased at too high a price.

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.