To the generous mind the heaviest debt is that of gratitude, when it is not in our power to repay it.
Benjamin FranklinRead
The things of this world take up too much of my time, of which indeed I have too little left, to undertake anything like a reformation in religion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Benjamin Franklin expresses the idea that worldly concerns consume most of his limited time, leaving little room for religious reformation.
In this quote, Benjamin Franklin highlights the conflict between engaging in worldly affairs and pursuing transformative changes in religious thought or practice. He suggests that the demands of life often distract individuals from more profound spiritual pursuits, illustrating a sense of urgency and the fleeting nature of time. Franklin's acknowledgment of limited time serves as a reminder of the priorities we set in our lives, often leaning more towards tangible, worldly obligations rather than abstract or spiritual endeavors.
Themes
TimeReformationReligionWorldly ConcernsPriorities
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about balancing life and responsibilities, one might say, 'As Benjamin Franklin wisely noted, the things of this world take up too much of my time...'
More from Benjamin Franklin
All quotes βHe'll cheat without scruple, who can without fear.
Benjamin FranklinRead
[E]very Man who comes among us, and takes up a piece of Land, becomes a Citizen, and by our Constitution has a Voice in Elections, and a share in the Government of the Country.
Benjamin FranklinRead
Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
Benjamin FranklinRead
Let honesty and industry be thy constant companions, and spend one penny less than thy clear gains; then shall thy pocket begin to thrive; creditors will not insult, nor want oppress, nor hungerness bite, nor nakedness freeze thee
Benjamin FranklinRead
I think that a young state, like a young virgin, should modestly stay at home, and wait the application of suitors for an alliance with her; and not run about offering her amity to all the world; and hazarding their refusal. Our virgin is a jolly one; and tho at present not very rich, will in time be a great fortune, and where she has a favorable predisposition, it seems to me well worth cultivating.
Benjamin FranklinRead
Similar quotes
With the development of industrial capitalism, a new and unanticipated system of injustice, it is libertarian socialism that has preserved and extended the radical humanist message of the Enlightenment and the classical liberal ideals that were perverted into an ideology to sustain the emerging social order.
Noam ChomskyRead
Altruism itself depends on a recognition of the reality of other persons, and on the equivalent capacity to regard oneself as merely one individual among many.
Thomas NagelRead
I hate extremes of any kind. Communism [seeks] the domination of the state over the individual... All my life I have stood against banning Communism or other extremist organisations because, if you do that, they go underground and it gives them an excitement that they don't get if they are allowed to pursue their policies openly. We'll beat them into the ground on argument...
Margaret ThatcherRead
What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has ever existed under the sun? The generalizing and concentrating all cares and power into one body, no matter whether of the autocrats of Russia or France, or of the aristocrats of a Venetian senate.
Thomas JeffersonRead
A hallucination is a species of reality, as capable of teaching you as a videotape about Kilimanjaro or anything else that falls through your life.
Terence MckennaRead
To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love.
Thomas A KempisRead