I went through my highlights and notes from my most recent reading of Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. I made a ton of notes and highlights (134 in all, according to my Kindle) and share them below with comment. I pared them down... but probably not nearly enough. Considering how short this book is, it is amazing how many portions stood out.
I have stated many times that this book has impacted me personally more than any other. With this post, I seek to give you a taste of the lessons learned from good old Ben. The video above is a compilation from the HBO Series Adams and includes some great Franklin-isms.
REFLECTIONS ON HIS LIFE
"That felicity, when I reflected on it, has induced me sometimes to say, that were it offered to my choice, I should have no objection to a repetition of the same life from its beginning, only asking the advantages authors have in a second edition to correct some faults, change some sinister accidents and events of it for others more favorable... But, though this were denied, I should still accept the offer."
I love this quote and hope that I can say the same at the end of life. I would certainly take the offer at present. I think this passage is another example of his light and jovial style of writing and Franklin's whimsical wisdom.
CHILDHOOD
Franklin describing his childhood predilection for leadership that "shows an early projecting public spirit, tho' not then justly conducted."
When caught moving stones used at a construction site to create a small pass through a muddy section, he learned a valuable lesson. He writes that "several of us were corrected by our fathers; and though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest."
ON ARGUMENTS
As to belligerence in argumentation, Franklin is against it. I have long disputed that the squeaky wheel always wins. It may get the grease, but it does so at the expense of future considerations. I imagine anyone greasing the wheel doing so with reluctance and skepticism about the future. That outlook guides much of my methods.
"Persons of good sense, I have since observed, seldom fall into it (argumentation), except lawyers, university men and men of all sorts that have been bred at Edinborough." .
I would be remiss if I did not correct the good doctor of his use of "that" to refer to people... unless that is part of the joke.
Even attention to grammatical detail, however, could be overcome. When he found an advantage of spelling but fell "far short in elegance of expression, in method and in perspicuity," the argument would be lost.
One of the most fascinating parts of the book for me has always been Franklin's analysis of the mechanics of discussion. Here is where I let Ben take over:
"... anything that may possibly be disputed, the words 'certainly,' 'undoubtly,' or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, 'I conceive' or 'apprehend' a thing to be so and so; 'it appears to me,' or 'I should think' it so and so, for such and such reasons; or 'I imagine it to be so'; or 'it is so, if I am not mistaken.'"
"...This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men into measures that I have been from time to time engag'd in promoting; and as the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade, I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner, that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat every one of those purposes for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving information or pleasure....
If you wish information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet at the same time express yourself as firmly fix'd in your present opinions, modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave you undisturbed in the possession of your error."
My notes said "Love this!" and "Great!"
Franklin further flushes out the mechanics of effective persuasion by detailing his adoption of the Socratic Method. Although the Socratic Method can seem like hell when applied in law school, I consider it the best possible learning tool. As to application toward argumentation, it remains the undisputed champion for results.
While other young people busied themselves with amusement of a more customary sort, Franklin took great pleasure in mastering his technique.
"I was charm'd with it, adopted it, dropt my abrupt contradiction and positive argumentation, and put on the humble inquirer and doubter.
"I took a delight in it, practis'd it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing people, even of superior knowledge, into confessions, the consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved."...
Finally, Franklin describes how his request of a favor from a political adversary opened the doors to reconciliation and a developed friendship. The story is famous and has since been proven in lab tests as described in books by Malcolm Gladwell and many others who write about or conduct behavior science. Franklin, once again, was the inspiration for the growth of this widely-considered modern science.
"He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged."
My note said "Kindness as a business decision." I just love everything about these sections.
ON WRITING LATE IN LIFE
Franklin seems to beg pardon for his casual and conversational style compared to so many works of the time.
"I us'd to write more methodically. But one does not dress for private company as for a publick ball. 'Tis perhaps only negligence."
ON READING
Franklin was a voracious reader and self-motivated. His reading started early and remained constant.
"Often I sat up in my room reading the greatest part of the night, when the book was borrowed in the evening and to be returned in the morning, lest it should be missed or wanted."
ON PRACTICALITY AND POETRY
Although a man of many tastes, Franklin's loyalty always remained with practical skills. This was best summed up by his decision to utilize poetry only where it could help advance his life.
"...but my father discouraged me by ridiculing my performances, and telling me verse-makers were generally beggars. So I escaped being a poet, most probably a very bad one; but as prose writing had been of great use to me in the course of my life, and was a principal means of my advancement, I shall tell you how, in such a situation, I acquired what little ability I have in that way."
I had made a note that Franklin believes you can use any skill.. but it should be to good and useful ends.
TEACHING HIMSELF MATH
Franklin taught himself. Every subject.
"... made asham'd of my ignorance in figures... I took Cocker's book of Arithmetick, and went through the whole by myself with great ease."
ON VIRTUE
The next most interesting and influential portion of the Autobiography deals with Franklin's famous 13 virtues and his attempt to track his progress for each on a weekly basis. He justifies the experiment as follows:
"it may be well to let you know the then state of my mind with regard to my principles and morals, that you may see how far those influenc'd the future events of my life. My parents had early given me religious impressions, and brought me through my childhood piously in the Dissenting way."
"I grew convinc'd that truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I form'd written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to practice them ever while I lived."
These are the pillars of morality that make Franklin's autobiography a foundation for gimmick-free self-help books. Rather than the modern notion of "I deserve X," these pillars inform and inspire habits that project outward from the self. Talk about being ahead of his time! Franklin's ideas remain novel to this day.
Habits drive all:
"habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping, and that the contrary habits must be broken, and the good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct."
As so many of us would, Franklin expected that his virtue began at a high level. But he quickly found his blind spots and discovered more than a little bit of ground to cover in all areas.
"I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish."
Order and humility gave him the most trouble, and his thoughts on humility are so wonderful, introspective and ironic.
"I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue (humility), but I had a good deal with regard to the appearance of it."
"In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that i had compleatly overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility."
I loved the story of a speckled ax to illustrate the simple conclusion. He described a smith who was loath to finish an ax until all blemishes were eliminated from the final product. After long hours of labor, the customer said, "I think I like the speckled ax best." Franklin ultimately decided that a speckled ax has its own beauty.
Still, the effort remained worthy:
... yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it."
RANDOM QUOTES
"A man being sometimes more generous when he has but a little money than when he has plenty, perhaps thro' fear of being thought to have but little."
"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do."
"the present little sacrifice of your vanity will afterwards be amply repaid."
"He wish'd to please everybody; and, having little to give, he gave expectations."
"... and in the loss of his friendship I found myself relieved from a burden." (regarding a mooching friend who finally ended the relationship... and his debts to Ben).
"I rather approv'd his giving us good sermons compos'd by others, than bad ones of his own manufacture, tho' the latter was the practice of our common teachers." (Regarding a minister who stole sermons).
"Don't let me be mistaken; it was not for Christ's sake, but for your sake. ... to shift the burden of the obligation from off their own shoulders, and place it in heaven, I had contriv'd to fix it on earth."
"acknowledged the fault, but laid it upon the rum; and then endeavored to excuse the rum..." (regarding Native Americans who got drunk after a negotiation and their excuse after).
"Indeed I had some cause to believe that the defense of teh country was not disagreeable to any of them, provided they were not requir'd to assist in it." (on negotiating defense with Quaker pacifists).
"Human felicity is produc'd not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day."
"They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them." (discussing argumentative people).
"I let him enjoy his opinion, which I take to be generally the best way in such cases." (On dealing with stubborn folks).
I endeavoured to prepare the minds of the people by writing on the subject in the newspapers, which was my usual custom in such cases, but which he had omitted." (explaining the steps he took before pushing for adoption of a proposed idea).
"conceiv'd they might have the credit of being charitable without the expence, agreed to its passage..." (On his ability to convince the legislature to vote for an improvement and pay for it later through a formula of Franklin's making... and it worked).
ON POLITICS
Franklin mostly discusses politics within the framework of arguments, but he also makes passing commentary like some of those I listed under the random quote's section. He makes a passing reference to the Earl of Egremont, whom Franklin met while in England. The Earl of Egremont climbed the ladder along with Franklin and later became a crucial connection that led to the very favorable peace treaty. Franklin mentions befriending the Earl while in England early in life with a notation that more would come regarding this relationship. Although the Autobiography does not come back to it, we know that it was this relationship that allowed Franklin to play England off against France to reach a two-party peace agreement.
Franklin lived what he preached as to gaining favor through a general policy of kindness and friendliness and he harvested it to the benefit of our nation's independence. I love that he mentioned the Earl in this book. I wish he could have finished tying that bow in the Autobiography before his passing. Reading that was like seeing the seeds of peace planted.
PATENTS AND THE GREATER GOOD
Franklin did not profit off of any of his inventions. He could have retired on at least three of them (Bifocals, lightning rods and the Franklin Stove). He discussed the Franklin Stove in some detail and described it as a gift to humanity.
"offered to give me a patent for the sole vending of them for a term of years; but I declin'd it from a principle which has ever weighed with me on such occasions, viz., That as we enjoy the great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously."
My brother uses the term "slacktivism" to describe ribbons and other such symbolic stances. He distinguishes it from activism, which requires effort. Donating an invention to the world is the height of activism.
CONCLUSION
This book just gets better for me every time. I can already see the tweaks I will make in the coming weeks and months because this reading put so many pieces of familiar, yet still sage, advice before my eyes once again. It serves as a reminder I need every year. And, so, until I read it again next year, I hope this synopsis inspires others other to pick up one of the best books out there.
And, just for fun, I leave you with this great scene, which references Franklin's habit of playing chess in the bathtub.
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