The way to wealth

The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin is full of great information. Surprisingly, it is a pretty quick read and a definite must read for everyone. Benjamin Franklin was a man who read every book he could get his hands on since he was 12-14 years of age. He would work and save up money to buy small sets of books. After reading that set of books, he would sell them in order to purchase a different set of books. He was a learning machine throughout his life and he was always looking for smart/ interesting people to learn from.

My favorite paragraph from The Way to Wealth is the one that follows. We can complain about the taxes and the economy, but at the end of the day our destiny is in our own hands. Taxes and the economy may be hurting your chances but you know what is worst than those two put together? Your laziness, pride and folly. Sitting on your a$$ complaining is doing far more harm than any government tax.

“Friends, says he, and neighbors, the taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly, and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement. However let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us; God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says, in his almanac of 1733.”

I found a PDF version of the entire essay that you can check out and read here.