Benjamin Franklin — "Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack'd, and never well mended."
Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack'd, and never well mended.
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More from Benjamin Franklin
"Vessels large may venture more, but little boats should keep near shore."
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
"A man's own manner of living is a perpetual sermon."
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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
Reputation, like glass or fine china, is fragile — easy to break, nearly impossible to fully restore. One dishonest act, public scandal, or betrayal can undo years of careful character-building. You can patch cracked porcelain, but the fracture line stays visible. The same is true for trust: an apology helps but rarely makes things whole again. Handle your integrity the way you would handle something irreplaceable.
Relevance to Benjamin Franklin
Franklin built his entire public career on reputation — as a printer, diplomat, scientist, and statesman. His Autobiography details his systematic effort to cultivate virtues like honesty, frugality, and industry. As Poor Richard, he dispensed practical wisdom because colonial society ran on personal creditworthiness and community trust. Franklin personally experienced how accusations of disloyalty damaged relationships with his son William and British allies. Reputation was both his tool and his currency.
The era
In colonial America and 18th-century Britain, reputation was a practical survival tool, not just a social nicety. Credit — both financial and social — depended entirely on what neighbors, merchants, and officials thought of you. There were no credit scores or background checks. A merchant's word was his bond; one rumor of dishonesty could collapse a business or political career overnight. Printed pamphlets spread scandal faster than any correction could follow.
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