Examples Of Benjamin Franklin's Aphorisms

“Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,” is one of many aphorisms created by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin wanted to help anyone and everyone. He would come up with aphorisms as a way to help and advise people. Through Benjamin Franklin’s virtues and aphorisms, he bestowed helpful, realistic advice for everyone. Benjamin Franklin used his thirteen virtues as a part of his advice to everyone. The thirteen virtues he chose were temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. He said in his autobiography, “...and I included under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurred to me as necessary or desirable, and

Advice given in Poor Richard’s Almanack was put there by Franklin to use up the space on the pages. “‘I therefore filled all the little spaces that ocurr’d between the Remarkable Days in the Calendar, with Proverbial Sentences, chiefly such as inculcated Industry and Frugality, as the Means of procuring Wealth, and thereby securing Virtue; It being more difficult for a Man in Want to act honestly as [to use here one of those Proverbs] it is hard for an empty sack to Stand up right’”(Lupton). Franklin wanted to help and enlighten people with his aphorisms in Poor Richard’s Almanack. In 1745, Franklin wrote Advice to a Young Man on the Choice of a Mistress, a letter to his friend on how to choose the right women to marry. Within this letter, Franklin is telling his friend that he thinks an older women is better than a young one and then lists eight reasons why. One reason is that older women have more knowledge about the world. The fifth reason Franklin says is, “... it is impossible of two Women to know an old from a young one. And as in the dark all Cats are grey, the Pleasure of corporal Enjoyment with an old Woman is at least equal, and frequently superior, every Knack being by Practice capable of improvement”(Franklin). Franklin wants to advise his friend on picking an older woman because he believes that older women even better than young women. In The Way to Wealth, advice about money is given, such as, “This doctrine, my friends, is reason and wisdom; but, after all, do not depend too much upon your own industry, and frugality, and prudence, though excellent things; for they may all be blasted, without the blessing of Heaven; and, therefore, ask that blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them