If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be

Benjamin Franklin, that sage of industry and disciple of wisdom, once declared: “If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” In this saying he raises time above gold, above jewels, above every possession a man may gather. For time is the one treasure allotted equally to king and beggar, and yet it is also the one treasure that once spent cannot be reclaimed. To squander wealth is foolish, but to squander time is ruinous, for money may be earned again, but no man can purchase back an hour already gone.

The origin of this teaching lies in Franklin’s own life. He was a man who began with little, born in a modest household, yet by discipline, labor, and the wise use of time, he rose to become a printer, inventor, statesman, and philosopher. His Poor Richard’s Almanack overflowed with such maxims, urging diligence, thrift, and order. Franklin knew that the foundation of all achievement was not genius alone, but the careful stewardship of hours. Thus he called wasting time the greatest prodigality—the greatest extravagance—for it is the reckless spending of that which is most finite.

To call time precious is to see it as the essence of life itself. Every heartbeat is a coin spent, every sunrise a gift that cannot be returned. Men build empires and erect monuments, yet none can extend the span of their days beyond what Providence has decreed. Therefore, Franklin warns us that to idle away hours is to impoverish the self in ways more dire than emptying coffers. The poor man who uses his time wisely may yet rise; the rich man who wastes it will fall into emptiness.

History bears witness to this truth. Consider Napoleon Bonaparte, a master of battle and ambition, yet one who often hesitated in moments when swiftness was required. His delay in pursuing the remnants of the Russian army in 1812 cost him dearly. In that winter of hesitation, time was wasted, and with it the strength of his empire. Contrast him with Alexander the Great, who, though young, used every hour of his short life with furious purpose, conquering lands far beyond Greece before death claimed him at thirty-two. The one wasted time and lost an empire; the other spent time fully and carved a name eternal.

Yet Franklin’s words are not meant only for kings and generals. They speak to every life, to every household. How many squander their hours in idleness, in complaint, in pursuits that neither enrich the mind nor strengthen the heart? The hours slip away like sand through the fingers, and when at last they look back, they find that time, the most precious of gifts, has been prodigally wasted. But the one who cherishes time—who spends it on learning, on labor, on kindness, on the pursuit of truth—becomes rich beyond measure, even if his purse remains light.

The lesson for us is plain yet powerful: guard your time as the miser guards his gold, yet spend it wisely as the nobleman spends his honor. Do not hoard it in idleness, nor scatter it in vanity. Ask yourself with each day: “How shall I invest these hours so that they return to me in strength, wisdom, or joy?” For in this practice lies mastery not only of craft and fortune, but of life itself.

Practically, this means ordering one’s hours with care. Rise early, as Franklin himself urged. Devote time to learning, to building, to serving. Waste not the day in endless distraction, for each evening draws the account closed, never to be reopened. And let kindness also be a part of your use of time, for moments spent in compassion are never wasted. To live thus is to honor Franklin’s wisdom and to prepare a life of fruitfulness.

So remember his words: “If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” Take them not as mere counsel of thrift, but as a command for living. Treasure the hours given you, for they are your true wealth. Spend them well, and your life will shine like a lamp in the darkness; waste them, and all the treasures of the earth cannot redeem what is lost.