Benjamin Franklin Quotes

You know it's easy to say you shouldn't do something and then something happens and you say, 'Wow, I wish I would have done something.'

When in doubt, don't.

A fool without fear is sometimes wiser than an angel without fear.

Those who understood, in fact, say: 'I mustn't do this, I mustn't do that,' so as not to commit some stupidity or other! Splendid! But at a certain point we realize that all life is stupidity; so tell me yourself what it means never to have done anything foolish. At the very least it means you have never lived.

There is nothing more imprudent than excessive prudence.

Courage is often lack of insight, whereas cowardice in many cases is based on good information.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

He is a fool who lets slip a bird in the hand for a bird in the bush.

To hazard much to get much has more of avarice than wisdom.

Wisdom prepares for the worst, but folly leaves the worst for the day when it comes.

It is a wise man who knows where courage ends and stupidity begins.

I've made lots of mistakes. Probably the worst one - I would say they tie. It's either when I didn't move fast enough on something, or I didn't take a big enough risk.

I was always the kid at school who thought it was a good idea to set off the fire alarm. And much as I'm aware that that's a trait which also propels other things which are good, I wish I could just pause and go, 'Is this really what you want to do?'

People are slow to claim confidence in undertakings of magnitude.

I wish I was more adventurous.

The wise does at once what the fool does at last.

There's good random, and there's bad random. There's good silly and there's bad silly, and you've gotta know the difference.

I'm brave to say that I won't take this sort of risk.

It is the part of a fool to say, I should not have thought.

If we insist on being as sure as is conceivable... we must be content to creep along the ground, and never soar.

Prudence is not the same thing as caution. Caution is a helpful strategy when you're crossing a minefield; it's a disaster when you're in a gold rush.

Men of age object too much, consult too long, adventure too little, repent too soon, and seldom drive business home to the full period, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success.

Prudence is not hesitation, procrastination, or moderation. It is not driving in the middle of the road. It is not the way of ambivalence, indecision, or safety.

Have I gone too far?

It's fair to say that I have a side that is prudent and a side that is not.