Fail to prepare; prepare to fail.
• By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
 • Attributed to Franklin in Julita Agustin-Israel, Lakas ng Loob, 1996, p. 53; there is no evidence that he coined any forms of this quote.

If we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail.

— Benjamin Franklin

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail." in the context of "Fail to prepare; prepare to fail.
• By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
 • Attributed to Franklin in Julita Agustin-Israel, Lakas ng Loob, 1996, p. 53; there is no evidence that he coined any forms of this quote." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Benjamin Franklin" (Attributed: Attributed: Quotes found in a reputable secondary source but not sourced to an original work. Read more at Wikiquote:Sourced and Unsourced sections.) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Benjamin Franklin

About Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (17 January 1706 – 17 April 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and a diplomatic scientific and novice electrician; he was a major figure in the U.S. Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, for keeping bifocals fog-free, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He facilitated many civic organizations, including Philadelphia's fire department and the University of Pennsylvania.