"He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner"
- Benjamin Franklin
About this Quote
The quote "He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a supper" by Benjamin Franklin speaks with styles of self-reliance, effort, and the unpredictable nature of relying exclusively on luck or chance for success. Franklin, an ultimate figure of the American Knowledge known for his unyielding advocacy for hard work and useful knowledge, encapsulates in this stating a care versus passive dependence on external factors beyond one's control.
In dissecting the quote, "He that waits upon fortune" recommends a person who relies heavily on luck or external circumstances to positively turn in their instructions without applying personal effort. Here, "fortune" is metaphorically representative of all the best or chance. In historical contexts and Franklin's era, fortune was often personified as a capricious force, one that might smile on an individual at random but might simply as quickly keep its true blessings. Therefore, anticipating to have one's requirements satisfied through such an inconsistent and undependable source as pure chance is inherently risky.
The latter part of the quote, "is never ever sure of a supper", offers a tangible symbol for fundamental requirements and stability. A "supper" represents nourishment, certainty, and security in life. Franklin suggests that a person who leaves their fate totally to possibility lacks assurance of meeting even fundamental needs. The expression serves as a criticism of complacency and inactiveness. By waiting on fortune, one forfeits agency and control over their life outcomes.
Franklin is advocating for proactive engagement in one's own life-- motivating individual effort, planning, and industriousness. Rather than waiting passively for luck to offer, individuals ought to strive to produce their own chances and constructively work toward their objectives. This mindset ties deeply into the ethos of self-made success, an essential American suitable that Franklin himself embodied.
Eventually, Franklin's quote is an ageless suggestion that while luck may play a role in life, it is through individual effort and diligence that people can guarantee their necessities and goals are met. It highlights the importance of taking duty for one's trajectory and promoting strength versus the uncertainties of relying on fortune.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures"