Franklin argues that valuing life should lead to valuing time, because life is experienced and measured through the time available to us. To squander time is therefore not merely to waste an abstract resource, but to give away part of one’s finite life without making deliberate use of it.

The saying does not require constant work or productivity. Time spent resting, learning, maintaining relationships or enjoying life can all be worthwhile when chosen consciously. Franklin’s warning is directed more towards habitual waste, delay and thoughtless use of time. By calling time the “stuff” life is made of, he turns an ordinary concern about efficiency into a broader reflection on mortality and purpose. The central lesson is that how people spend their time is closely connected to how they spend their lives, making attention and choice important parts of living well.