--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Idleness and pride tax with a heavier…" description: "\"Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments\" — Benjamin Franklin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/benjamin-franklin-65_idleness_idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-ha_970600.png" --- # Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and… ![“Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/benjamin-franklin-65_idleness_idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-ha_970600.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/benjamin-franklin-65_idleness_idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-ha_970600.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/benjamin-franklin-65_idleness_idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-ha_970600.png) > “Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments” [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Neglect and arrogance impose heavier burdens than formal authority. **In simple terms:** Neglect and pride are costly. Key Takeaway Avoid neglect and pride. Themes pride neglect authority responsibility Mood cautionary serious Type ethical practical When to use this quote - leadership - personal finance - public service Key Concepts moral decay personal accountability Questions to Reflect On - How does personal pride affect your decisions? - What habits prevent neglect? A Different Perspective Some may argue external forces are more punitive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) [Idleness Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness-pride-342526/) [Kings Parliaments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings-parliaments-423599/) [Parliament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliament/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Pride Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride-tax-342525/) [Tax Heavier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-heavier-342524/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-hand-than-kings-and-governments/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments. If we can get rid of the former, we may easily bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-hand-than-kings-and-parliaments-2/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Kings or parliaments could not give the rights essential to happiness... We claim them from a higher source - from the King of kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/kings-or-parliaments-could-not-give-the-rights-essential-to-happiness/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Why, who cries out on pride that can therein tax any private party? Doth it not flow as hugely as the sea till the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/why-who-cries-out-on-pride-that-can-therein-tax-any-private-party/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [We are more heavily taxed by our idleness, pride and folly than we are taxed by government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/we-are-more-heavily-taxed-by-our-idleness-pride-and-folly-than-we-are/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Idle hands are the devil's playthings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idle-hands-are-the-devil-s-playthings/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Trouble Springs From Idleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/trouble-springs-from-idleness/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Friends and neighbors complain that taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/friends-and-neighbors-complain-that-taxes-are-indeed-very-heavy-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Be ashamed to catch yourself idle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/be-ashamed-to-catch-yourself-idle/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Idleness is the Dead Sea that swallows all virtues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-is-the-dead-sea-that-swallows-all-virtues/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-riseth-late-must-trot-all-day-and-shall-scarce-overtake-his/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/sloth-makes-all-things-difficult-but-industry-all-things-easy/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Taxes are indeed very heavy - We are taxed twice as much by our Idleness. Three times as much by our Pride. And four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/taxes-are-indeed-very-heavy-we-are-taxed-twice-as-much-by-our/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Idleness is the Dead Sea that swallows all virtues. Be active in business, that temptation may miss her aim; the bird that sits is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-is-the-dead-sea-that-swallows-all-virtues-be-active-in/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [It is wonderful how preposterously the affairs of the world are managed. We assemble parliaments and councils to have the benefit of collected wisdom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/it-is-wonderful-how-preposterously-the-affairs-of-the-world-are/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More by Benjamin Franklin > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-the-affairs-of-this-world-men-are-saved-not-by-faith-but-by-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Little leaks sink the ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-leaks-sink-the-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/who-is-rich-he-that-is-content-who-is-that-nobody/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“But on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-on-the-whole-though-i-never-arrived-at-the-perfection-i-had-been/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The good particular men may do separately, in relieving the sick, is small, compared with what they may do collectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-good-particular-men-may-do-separately-in-relieving-the-sick-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Love your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your Hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/love-your-neighbour-yet-don-t-pull-down-your-hedge/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/take-counsel-in-wine-but-resolve-afterwards-in-water/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [He that's secure is not safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-s-secure-is-not-safe/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Explore all 1,692 Benjamin Franklin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More Idleness quotes > [“Idleness is seductive. Just relax and do nothing, it says.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-mwatsikesimbe/idleness-is-seductive-just-relax-and-do-nothing-it-says/) [Innocent Mwatsikesimbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-mwatsikesimbe/) > [“Virtue? A fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/virtue-a-fig-tis-in-ourselves-that-we-are-thus-or-thus-our-bodies-are/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The frivolous work of polished idleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mackintosh/the-frivolous-work-of-polished-idleness/) [James Mackintosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mackintosh/) > [We are more heavily taxed by our idleness, pride and folly than we are taxed by government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/we-are-more-heavily-taxed-by-our-idleness-pride-and-folly-than-we-are/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Doing nothing is the hardest torture that a person can put himself through. For he is always brought face to face with his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iwan-goll/doing-nothing-is-the-hardest-torture-that-a-person-can-put-himself/) [Iwan Goll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iwan-goll/) > [Inactivity and deprivation of all accustomed stimulus is not rest; it is a preparation for the tomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/inactivity-and-deprivation-of-all-accustomed-stimulus-is-not-rest-it/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [“Liza had a finely developed sense of sin Idleness was a sin, and card playing, which was a kind of idleness to her. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/liza-had-a-finely-developed-sense-of-sin-idleness-was-a-sin-and-card/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Idleness is paralysis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/idleness-is-paralysis/) [Roswell Dwight Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/) > [The even mead, that erst brought sweetly forth The freckled cowslip, burnet, and green clover, Wanting the scythe, all uncorrected, rank, Conceives by idleness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-even-mead-that-erst-brought-sweetly-forth-the-freckled-cowslip/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There is a perennial nobleness, and even sacredness, in work. Were he never so benighted, forgetful of his high calling, there is always hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/there-is-a-perennial-nobleness-and-even-sacredness-in-work-were-he/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Great talents, by the rust of long disuse, Grow lethargic and shrink from what they were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/great-talents-by-the-rust-of-long-disuse-grow-lethargic-and-shrink/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/far-from-idleness-being-the-root-of-all-evil-it-is-rather-the-only/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“Reality has a tendency to reveal itself when man is idle, and so it is because of this that idleness is often regarded as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/reality-has-a-tendency-to-reveal-itself-when-man-is-idle-and-so-it-is/) [VD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vd/) > [Let us be grateful to Adam: he cut us out of the blessing of idleness and won for us the curse of labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/let-us-be-grateful-to-adam-he-cut-us-out-of-the-blessing-of-idleness/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If I gave my mother a knitted scarf she'd be worried I was wasting my time doing stupid stuff like knitting instead of school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/if-i-gave-my-mother-a-knitted-scarf-she-d-be-worried-i-was-wasting-my/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) [Browse all 564 Idleness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Franklin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-hand-than-kings-and-parliaments/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Idleness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-hand-than-kings-and-parliaments/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/benjamin-franklin-65_idleness_idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-ha_970600.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/benjamin-franklin-65_idleness_idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-ha_970600.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/benjamin-franklin-65_idleness_idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-ha_970600.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments” — Benjamin Franklin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Franklin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Idleness and pride tax with a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-hand-than-kings-and-parliaments/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/idleness-and-pride-tax-with-a-heavier-hand-than-kings-and-parliaments/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```