5 Phrases Of Benjamin Franklin Full Of Wisdom

Some of Benjamin Franklin’s phrases are small capsules of wisdom that we want to reflect on today. We are talking about one of the founding fathers of the United States, a milestone that he achieved despite having studied only until he was 10 years old.

It was his insatiable thirst for knowledge and his curiosity that fueled his self-taught passion and allowed him to become, for example, the inventor of the iron stove in 1744 or of the lightning rod in 1753. Great inventions that did it a recognized character.

However, we cannot ignore other facets of Franklin, such as his work as a politician, author, writer, diplomat, statesman, activist … In short, Franklin was a very restless person with great abilities to cover different professional activities. Today we share his wisdom in 5 of his best phrases.

1. Prevention of bad habits

The first of Benjamin Franklin’s phrases allows us to address a very important topic: bad habits. Every day, people all over the world decide to quit tobacco, not to drink another drop of alcohol, or not to resort to other types of drugs again. But every day many of these same people slip back into their addiction.

As Franklin’s phrase says, it is much easier to prevent bad habits. By not trying them, either out of social pressure or curiosity, we are sure that we will not become dependent on that substance. Because breaking a habit that involves certain reinforcements, as he says, can be a very difficult task to achieve, requiring a lot of our energy and resources.

The withdrawal syndrome our body suffers from can be so excruciating and our willpower so weak that sometimes just a phrase from a doctor – “if you continue to smoke / drink / take drugs you will die” – could make you Let’s give up our addiction In prevention, so as not to go to this extreme, is the key.

2. Speak badly of others

If we were to make an analysis of what people say about others, we would surely be surprised at the frequency with which criticism, judgments and words full of envy appear. Perhaps it is a learned behavior. Perhaps it is our insecurities and fears that lead us to act like this. This second of Benjamin Franklin’s phrases urges us to do the opposite.

Modifying the content, often automatic, of our speeches is not easy at all, but if we are aware of when we are speaking ill of someone, we have already gained a lot of ground. Only then can we gradually change our way of speaking about others to begin to speak well. Isn’t it true that we don’t like others to speak ill of us? Well, let’s do the same.

3. Learn from mistakes

As a good inventor, Franklin experienced the pressure that comes from making a failed attempt. Mistakes can make us feel that we are not worth what we do, that what we are trying to build will not come to fruition or that the most reasonable decision would be to throw in the towel.

However, Franklin persevered with his ideas despite unsuccessful attempts. This did not matter to him. He sought to improve at all costs. Because mistakes help us to learn. If we are determined to achieve something, perseverance, learning from failures and continuing to train will be the smartest thing to do.

Let us not be afraid to err, to stumble, to make mistakes. This means that we are learning and that next time we will do much better. Let us remember that the best inventors made mistakes many times before getting their great invention launched. Behind there are many hours, a lot of perseverance, a lot of willpower, a lot of desire …

4. Shame

The fourth of Benjamin Franklin’s phrases tells us about an essential theme: shame. A shame that paralyzes and frightens us. Why when we are little we are not ashamed of anything? Because shame is an emotion that we have learned to feel on certain occasions.

On the other hand, we all have a past. Poor and rich. In it we were and now we are. In many cases it is necessary to talk about where we were and where we have managed to get to understand the power we have over what happens to us. In this sense, more than a reason for shame, having managed to improve our situation has to be a source of pride.

Furthermore, Franklin’s phrase must be understood in a context in which the “nouveau riche” were looked down upon by those who were “born”. Understanding that each person had a social class, in which they were born, and in which they should remain. Today, the social panorama is somewhat different, although it is no less true, for example, that certain people continue to look down on others for not having studied at a prestigious university.

5. If in doubt, stop!

On many occasions we have doubts. Doubts about whether or not we should do something, about the decisions we have to make … Sometimes, doubts respond to an insecurity that would be important to resolve. However, other times they are like a wake-up call before a decision that we are going to make, but of which we are not really sure.

No important decision is usually free from doubt. These are the ones that warn us that we have reached a point where reflection is important; a reflection for which many times you have to dedicate a good amount of resources. So we may have to stop. However, this necessary paralysis does not have to last forever: we will not always be able to clear all the questions, nor will circumstances always wait for us.

What do you think of these Benjamin Franklin quotes? Have they allowed you to reflect on any aspect of your life? As we can see, we do not talk about anything that we do not know, however today we continue to act in a way that for years, phrases like Franklin’s invites us to reflect on it to introduce changes.