Benjamin Franklin—Brilliant, But Wrong

For those of you who didn’t pay much attention in history class, Ben Franklin was one of the founding fathers of America. A Politician, inventor, and author, he was the closest thing there was to a “jack-of-all-trades” guy. He was brilliant, but I’m here to tell you he was also wrong on one very important thing.

Before we get to the wrong, however, I want to tell you how right he was about so much:

“Time is money.” — Benjamin Franklin  

This famous saying originated from him. Has there ever been a truer 3-word sentence?

“Well done is better than well said.” — Benjamin Franklin

So true. Action always trumps talk.

“Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” — Benjamin Franklin

10X principles just pour out of this man.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin

I’ve always said if you want to increase your income, get more knowledge.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” — Benjamin Franklin

Was Benjamin Franklin an original 10Xer? Yes, I think so.

“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” — Benjamin Franklin

He knew there’s always room for growth!

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain—and most fools do.” — Benjamin Franklin

That quote is for all my haters.

I have a lot of closes in my Closer’s Survival Guide, but only one close is named after a person: The Ben Franklin close.

Here’s how that close goes…

“I understand how hard it is to make this decision. It is said that Ben Franklin, one of our founding fathers, when faced with a big decision, would write down the pluses and the minuses of the decision on a piece of paper, so he could get a true evaluation of the right thing to do. (Get a sheet of paper) So what are the positives of this purchase, and what are the negatives? If the advantages outweigh the negatives, do it. If not, don’t invest!”

This is what Benjamin Franklin did each time he was faced with a tough decision. You are using pure logic for the buyer to assess in writing why he should buy from you. This is a great close, allowing the buyer to physically see the reality.

So, with all the great stuff Benjamin Franklin said and did, we can call him brilliant.

But he was also wrong on one thing:

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” — Benjamin Franklin   

No, it’s not. A penny is a penny, Ben.

I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say it might have been true in his day and age—but this is no longer true today. 

A penny is a penny, and if you’re worried about pennies you’ll never be rich. Nobody gets wealthy counting pennies. If you’re not a millionaire, you don’t have a saving problem, you have an income problem.

Income is the holy grail of wealth.

Don’t worry about saving your pennies. You don’t need one of those apps that digitally saves your loose change when you make debit card purchases. You need a job that gives you the opportunity to earn you big boy money.

If you don’t have the skills yet to get paid well, Ben Franklin also said, “God helps those who help themselves.” Take advantage of my training material to get you to the next level financially.

Be great,

GC

Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, the #1 sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media, and finance. His 5 privately held companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the "25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017". Grant’s straight-shooting viewpoints on the economy, the middle class, and business have made him a valuable resource for media seeking commentary and insights on real topics that matter. He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, and MSNBC, and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, Entrepreneur.com, and the Huffington Post. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility, and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.