“There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.”
- January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790
- American
- Polymath, Founding Father of the United States, Inventor, Diplomat, Writer
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Quote
“There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.”
Explanation
In this quote, Benjamin Franklin draws attention to a particular form of moral inconsistency: the tendency of people who are generally honest in private life to justify dishonesty when dealing with the government. By stating that this is the most common kind of dishonesty for “otherwise good people,” he highlights the ease with which ethical standards are abandoned when individuals perceive the government as a faceless or impersonal entity.
Franklin, a key architect of American government and civic responsibility, viewed integrity in public affairs as essential to a functioning republic. His concern was that rationalizing minor fraud—such as tax evasion or misuse of public resources—corrodes the very trust and cooperation needed for democratic institutions to survive. The quote reflects his belief that citizenship demands the same level of honesty and virtue in dealing with the state as in personal dealings.
Today, the issue remains strikingly relevant. Whether it’s cheating on taxes, misusing public benefits, or exploiting bureaucratic loopholes, such acts are often dismissed as minor or harmless. But Franklin’s words serve as a warning: when dishonesty toward government becomes normalized, it undermines civic duty, erodes trust in institutions, and weakens the social fabric. In essence, the health of a society depends not just on laws, but on the conscience of its citizens.
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