Benjamin Franklin — "Beware of the flattery of a woman, and the treachery of a man."
Beware of the flattery of a woman, and the treachery of a man.
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About Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Polymath Founding Father, diplomat, and Poor Richard's Almanack author who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Closely associated with John Adams (fellow Founder, Massachusetts statesman) and Thomas Jefferson (fellow Declaration drafter). For an intellectual contrast, see Thomas Hutchinson, last royal governor of colonial Massachusetts — Franklin leaked Hutchinson's loyalist correspondence to Boston in 1772 to inflame revolutionary sentiment — Hutchinson represented the colonial-aristocrat crown-loyalty that Franklin's revolution was organized to dismantle.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
Watch out for two distinct manipulation tactics: excessive praise from women, used to soften your judgment and get what they want, and outright betrayal from men who may act as allies while working against you. The quote treats these as the primary social threats each gender poses. It's practical advice about staying clear-eyed in relationships rather than being blinded by charm or misplaced trust.
Relevance to Benjamin Franklin
Franklin navigated courts where flattery was currency — especially as American diplomat in Paris, where aristocratic women ran salons and wielded enormous political influence through charm. He was personally stung by male treachery: his son William, royal governor of New Jersey, sided with the Crown during the Revolution, a betrayal Franklin never forgave. His Poor Richard's Almanack consistently warned against naivety in social dealings, reflecting hard-won experience.
The era
In 18th-century colonial and European society, gender roles shaped how power was exercised informally. Women, barred from formal politics, often influenced outcomes through flattery and social manipulation — visible in French court culture and English drawing rooms. Men in politics and commerce routinely betrayed partners, switched allegiances, and double-dealt for survival or advancement. The American Revolution itself was defined by loyalist treachery and shifting alliances, making such warnings practically urgent.
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