Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Maxims (1734).

Teach your child to hold his tongue, He'll learn fast enough to speak.

— Benjamin Franklin on Childhood

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Teach your child to hold his tongue, He'll learn fast enough to speak." in the context of "Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard Maxims (1734)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Childhood" (Quotes) 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.