--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If time be of all things the most…" description: "\"If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.\" — Benjamin Franklin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_if-time-be-of-all-things-the-most-precio_650330.png" --- # If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time… ![“If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_if-time-be-of-all-things-the-most-precio_650330.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_if-time-be-of-all-things-the-most-precio_650330.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_if-time-be-of-all-things-the-most-precio_650330.png) > “If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” [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. Time is the most valuable resource; wasting it is the greatest wastefulness. **In simple terms:** Time is precious; wasting it is a big loss. Key Takeaway Guard your time carefully. Themes time management value productivity Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal planning - work deadlines - life balance - goal setting Key Concepts efficiency opportunity cost mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What activities truly waste your time? - How can you prioritize valuable use? A Different Perspective People may disagree on what counts as "wasting" time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [All things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-things/) [Greatest Prodigality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-prodigality-3728318/) [Precious Wasting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precious-wasting-3728319/) [Prodigality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prodigality-1410242/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-greatest-363149/) [Wasting time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting-time/) ## Related quotes > [If time be of all things most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again; and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/if-time-be-of-all-things-most-precious-wasting-time-must-be-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be, as Poor Richard says, “the greatest prodigality'; since, as he elsewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/if-time-be-of-all-things-the-most-precious-wasting-time-must-be-as/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Prodigality of Time produces Poverty of Mind as well as of Estate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/prodigality-of-time-produces-poverty-of-mind-as-well-as-of-estate/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [My time is precious and you're wasting it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-time-is-precious-and-you-re-wasting-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Great nations are never impoverished by private, though they sometimes are by public prodigality and misconduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/great-nations-are-never-impoverished-by-private-though-they-sometimes/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Prodigality is indeed the vice of a weak nature, as avarice is of a strong one; it comes of a weak craving for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/prodigality-is-indeed-the-vice-of-a-weak-nature-as-avarice-is-of-a/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [Corrupt influence is itself the perennial spring of all prodigality, and of all disorder; it loads us more than millions of debt; takes away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/corrupt-influence-is-itself-the-perennial-spring-of-all-prodigality/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Passions often produce their contraries: avarice sometimes leads to prodigality, and prodigality to avarice; we are often obstinate through weakness and daring through timidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passions-often-produce-their-contraries-avarice-sometimes-leads-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The passions do very often give birth to others of a nature most contrary to their own. Thus avarice sometimes brings forth prodigality, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-passions-do-very-often-give-birth-to-others-of-a-nature-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [there is nothing so easy as to be wise for others; a species of prodigality, by-the-by - for such wisdom is wholly wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/there-is-nothing-so-easy-as-to-be-wise-for-others-a-species-of/) [Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/) > [Gaming is the child of avarice, but the parent of prodigality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/gaming-is-the-child-of-avarice-but-the-parent-of-prodigality/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [The injury of prodigality leads to this, that he who will not economize will have to agonize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-injury-of-prodigality-leads-to-this-that-he-who-will-not/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“Time is the greatest enemy of fulfilment .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osunsakin-adewale/time-is-the-greatest-enemy-of-fulfilment/) [Osunsakin Adewale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osunsakin-adewale/) > [Time, time - that is our greatest master! Alas, like Ugolino, time devours its own children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-berlioz/time-time-that-is-our-greatest-master-alas-like-ugolino-time-devours/) [Hector Berlioz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-berlioz/) > [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/) [Levi Keely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levi-keely/) ## More by Benjamin Franklin > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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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 All things quotes > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [Dear God, I trust that no matter what happens in my life, it is for my highest good. And no matter what happens in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/dear-god-i-trust-that-no-matter-what-happens-in-my-life-it-is-for-my/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Moderation, honey, in all things but love and chocolate. That's my motto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bretton/moderation-honey-in-all-things-but-love-and-chocolate-that-s-my-motto/) [Barbara Bretton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bretton/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Standing as a witness in all things means being kind in all things, being the first to say hello, being the first to smile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/standing-as-a-witness-in-all-things-means-being-kind-in-all-things/) [Margaret D. 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