Stay Positive: Maxims from Poor Richard's Almanack

As I've written about before, I've always been fond of maxims. In fact, back in grad school, I wrote a paper about Aristotle's discussion of maxims in his Rhetoric and explored the maxims people use when they comment on students' papers. 

Because I'm drawn to these concise bits of wisdom, I picked up a Dover Thrift Edition of Wit and Wisdom from Poor Richard's Almanack. 

What follows are my favorite maxims offered by none other than Ben Franklin:

• Youth is pert and positive. Age modest and doubting: so Ears of Corn when young and light, stand bold upright, but hang their Heads when weighty, full, and ripe.
• If Passion drives, let Reason hold the Reins.
• Anger warms the Invention, but overheats the Oven.
• Anger is never without a Reason, but seldom with a good One.
• Craft must be at charge for clothes, but Truth can go naked. 
• He that's content, hath enough; He that complains, hath too much. 
• Discontented Minds, and Fevers of the Body are not to be cured by changing Beds or Businesses. 
• In the Affairs of this World Men are saved, not by Faith, but by Want of it. 
• The sleeping Fox catches no poultry. 
• Diligence overcomes Difficulties, Sloth makes them. 
• God helps them that help themselves. 
• Diligence is the mother of good luck. 
• When the Wine enters, out goes the Truth.
• Eat to live; live not to eat.  
• To lengthen they Life, lessen they Meals. 
• What one relishes, nourishes. 
• A learned Blockhead is a greater Blockhead than an ignorant one. 
• The learned Fool write his Nonsense in better Language than the unlearned; but still 'tis Nonsense. 
• The first Degree of Folly, is to conceit one's self wise; the second to profess it; the third to despise Counsel. 
• Silence is not always a Sign of Wisdom, but Babbling is ever a Folly. 
• There are three faithful friends--an old wife, an old dog, and ready money. 
• Avoid dishonest Gain: No price can recompense the Pangs of Vice. 
• Where there's Marriage without Love, there will be Love without Marriage. 
• Pride dines upon Vanity, sups on Contempt.
• As Pride increases, Fortune declines. 
• Beware of the young doctor and the old barber. 
• He's the best physician that knows the worthlessness of the most medicines. 
• No gains without pains. 
• Make haste slowly.
• Three make keep a secret, if two of them are dead. 
• Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water. 
• Haste makes waste.
• Don't throw Stones at your Neighbours', if your own Windows are Glass. 
• 'Tis easier to prevent bad habits than to break them. 
• Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. 
• To serve the Publick faithfully, and at the same time please it entirely, is impracticable. 
• Wink at small faults--remember thou has great ones. 
• Be at War with your Vices, at Peace with your Neighbours, and let every New-Year find you a better Man. 
• An open foe may prove a curse; but a pretended friend is worse.
• Fish and visitors stink after three days. 
• Men and melons are hard to know. 
• He that won't be counsell'd, can't be help'd.
• There is no little enemy. 
• He that speaks much, is much mistaken.
• Half Wits talk much but say little. 
• Lost Time is never found again. 
• People who are wrapped up in themselves make small packages. 
• A good Example is the best Sermon. 
• Bad Commentators spoil the best of books. 
• To err is human, to repent divine, to persist devilish. 
• Old Boys have their Playthings as well as young ones; the difference is only in the Price. 
• When the Well's dry, we know the Worth of Water.