- “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”Poor Richard’s Almanack (1735)Links discipline in small habits to lifelong success—a cornerstone of Franklin’s ethos of self-mastery.
- “A penny saved is two pence clear.”Poor Richard’s Almanack (1737)Original version of the famous “penny saved is a penny earned,” emphasizing thrift as foundational wealth-building.
- “Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”Poor Richard’s Almanack (1735)A darkly humorous take on human fallibility and the futility of trusting others with sensitive information.
- “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”Attributed to FranklinUrges foresight and planning as antidotes to chaos—a mantra for personal and professional discipline.
- “When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”Poor Richard’s Almanack (1746)Warns against taking resources (or relationships) for granted until they’re exhausted—a precursor to environmental wisdom.
- “Diligence is the mother of good luck.”Poor Richard’s Almanack (1736)Rejects blind fortune, framing success as the offspring of persistent effort.
- “He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.”Poor Richard’s Almanack (1733)Caustic advice on avoiding bad company, lest their flaws become your burdens.
- “Lost time is never found again.”Poor Richard’s Almanack (1748)A proto-capitalist view of time as life’s most irreplaceable currency.
- “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”Letter to Benjamin Vaughan (1785)Mocks self-absorption, advocating humility and outward focus as keys to growth.
- “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”Letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy (1789)Challenges complacency, urging a life of action or creation that leaves a legacy.
YARPP List
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- Chapter 5: History’s Biggest Fraud (Sapiens)
- How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big Summary (7/10)
- Chapter 7: Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis (The Discovery of the Unconscious)
- The Glass Cage Summary (6/10)