What does this even mean?

"He that lives upon hope will die fasting." - Benjamin Franklin

If you live upon something, it is a sustenance for you. If you fast from something, you abstain from it. So is he saying that if you live on hope, you must always do so or you shall perish? It seems like a reasonable thing to say: "You need hope" but the structure of the statement makes it sound like he's criticizing those who hope. Yet the interpretation of the words within that structure seem to convey a nearly opposite meaning. What do you think?

**Thinks about double rainbows**cybrcatter

Don't live your life on hope alone?
On a side-note: There was a guy who used to talk on TV about how trees are edible. He died of stomach cancer.

Does it mean that you can't just live on hope alone? That you actually have to get down and work to accomplish things?Engrish_Major

There's an AG equivalent to this, "συν Αθηνά καί χείρα κίνει". You're not supposed to decipher that, it freely translates to "move your hand along with goddess Athena". It's a rather interesting and short folktale; there was a time where a captain and his crew were on board to sail to an island, when a storm ruined their ship. The few survivors were left to swim for their lives, while the captain, also a survivor of the ordeal, grasped onto a rock edge and started praying to Athena, hoping she would save them. The quote is the words a man of the crew spoke to him (move your hand, a.k.a. swim to save yourself).

* / useless fact of the week*

There was also a cheesy add some time ago about car safety who used this quote. Yep you guessed it, they added "...he will die fastening his seat belt". :|

Does it mean that you can't just live on hope alone? That you actually have to get down and work to accomplish things?Engrish_Major

[QUOTE="Engrish_Major"]Does it mean that you can't just live on hope alone? That you actually have to get down and work to accomplish things?Nude_Dude

Don't hope for something to happen, make it happen.Travo_basic

but the structure of the statement makes it sound like he's criticizing those who hope.homegirl2180

That's exactly what he's doing. He's taking a shot at those who hope/wish/dream for something better, but don't actually do anything to make it happen.

Benjamin Franklin was high.

"He that lives upon hope will die fasting." - Benjamin Franklin

If you live upon something, it is a sustenance for you. If you fast from something, you abstain from it. So is he saying that if you live on hope, you must always do so or you shall perish? It seems like a reasonable thing to say: "You need hope" but the structure of the statement makes it sound like he's criticizing those who hope. Yet the interpretation of the words within that structure seem to convey a nearly opposite meaning. What do you think?

homegirl2180

I think it simplymeans hope provides nothing. You must provide for yourself.

Benjamin Franklin was high.

kidsmelly

I thought he was infamous for his skirt-chasing.

"He that lives upon hope will die fasting." - Benjamin Franklin

If you live upon something, it is a sustenance for you. If you fast from something, you abstain from it. So is he saying that if you live on hope, you must always do so or you shall perish? It seems like a reasonable thing to say: "You need hope" but the structure of the statement makes it sound like he's criticizing those who hope. Yet the interpretation of the words within that structure seem to convey a nearly opposite meaning. What do you think?

homegirl2180

Fasting means to refrain from eating food. So if you live, hoping something will happen, you will most likely die without your hopes coming to pass, "fasting" in a sence. You have to make something happen.

racer8dan

While we are wondering the meaning of quotes, I have to ask anyone reading this: what is the meaning of this Abraham Lincoln quote, "There is nothing true anywhere, The true is nowhere to be seen; If you say you see the true, This seeing is not the true one."

If you live on hope you will die..

Hope provides nothing, you must provide for yourself. Hope does not produce anything. It's not a riddle, it's self-explanatory.

Don't hope for something to happen, make it happen.Travo_basic

Don't hope for something to happen, make it happen.Travo_basic

**Thinks about double rainbows**cybrcatter

Don't hope for something to happen, make it happen.Travo_basic

**Thinks about double rainbows**cybrcatter

LMAO! :lol:

I like to think its saying that I should play more videogames, though my logical side keeps saying that it just means don't hope for everything.