Benjamin Franklin is an important figure in the molding of an American business character. From reflecting off many of Jesus’ messages to benefiting the society all the way to displaying astounding entrepreneur character traits, Franklin left a well-respected legacy. He demonstrated that even an unestablished, doubted boy can have everything they’ve either dreamt of. Franklin’s view on leading was the benefit of serving others more than himself, he was servant leader. His view reflects Jesus’ message of servant-leadership found in Matthew 20:28. Matthew 20:28 states, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (New Internal Version). The narrator shows Franklin’s want for serving …show more content…
Reading through part I of the “Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,” there are several traits displayed immediately. From Franklin being extremely ambitious to believing in himself when others didn’t and even not being afraid of competition, he paved a way for many business people to look up to and follow his lead. One of the most important messages received from Franklin’s journey that should be adopted is that of not letting his past effect his future. The narrator states, “I was fatigued with traveling, rowing and want of rest, I was very hungry; and my whole stock of cash consisted of a Dutch dollar, and about a shilling in copper” (Franklin, 1996, p.19). Franklin allowed his in trust in God to never fail which lead him to success; Proverbs 3:5 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (King James Version). Following the mindset of Benjamin Franklin will lead to some potential positive outcomes if entrepreneurs did implement some, if not all, of his traits. Positive outcomes will include, successfulness, new opportunities, well respected character, celebrated legacy,
Benjamin Franklin was “one of the ablest of the able men whom the American republic numbers amongst her fathers and founders.” (The Illustrated Magazine of Art 37) Franklin was many things during his lifetime and assisted in leading America through a turbulent time of politics. He was a supporter of federalism and religious liberty. His beliefs aligned with many of the virtues of enlightenment ideals.
To begin with, Benjamin Franklin is inspirational, The reason why he is inspirational franklin is a frugal, Inoffensive, Thrifty citizen, He said no one would fail because everyone could do it, And his role in the American Revolution. Moreover was also an inspiration, The reason why he is because he, A hero save many other people citizens, Also he participated in a long history of fighting britain. Benjamin franklin was a hero because of the honor, He brought our country in the American Revolution, And Benjamin Franklin involved the political opposition of his illegitimate, loyalist son, William. Benjamin Franklin, The inventor of such useful tools as the lightning rod and bifocal glasses, Moreover with his modern library system, A newspaper
Franklin invented objects that he knew would not only benefit himself but also other fellow Americans. His inventions show his intelligence and his need to help people. Most of his inventions are still used today in the 21st century and that is saying a lot because technology is getting more advanced as the days grow older. Benjamin wanted to see the United States succeed in all aspects and wanted to be a part of its success. “Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was a man of honor and integrity. No matter his circumstances in life, Franklin was able to turn them around and make his quality of life better. Franklin didn’t wait around for someone else to conquer life’s problems; he came up with his own
It seems logical that a wealthy landowner from Virginia would have had nothing in common with a lowly printer from Pennsylvania. The socio-economic barrier and the mindsets of the people in these occupations among other variables created a vast divide between the two. When ignoring these two factors, however, one can observe that the essences of William Byrd and Benjamin Franklin were very similar. But this presents the following query: if these two were similar when ignoring their status, then shouldn’t they be similar if they had the same occupation in the same place? At their core, Benjamin Franklin and William Byrd were similar, and the contrasts between the two resulted from the differences in their respective environments.
Benjamin Franklin is known to be an “Archetypal American,” because of his beliefs on religion, self-improvement, hard work, and determination; but also his somewhat prideful spirit. Much of modern America is quite similar to Franklin in his actions throughout his lifetime. In his early years, Franklin’s father, Josiah, had a set plan for what he was supposed to do with his life, as a minister. Soon into his education, he found an interest in reading and writing, so he began pursuing a career in printing.
Ben wrote a book about his experiments on electricity, that became extremely popular and even formed the basis of modern day electricity theory (Compton’s, p. 382). Not only did Franklin leave a great legacy as a scientist, but he also changed the course of American
Benjamin Franklin was a great man that had influences in many areas and because of that he had many enemies but because he understood human behavior he enabled himself to turn enemies into allies. To understand the Benjamin Franklin effect you need to know that the things you do often create the things you believe. An example is when “Franklin ran for his second term as a clerk, one of his colleagues delivered a long speech to the legislature lambasting Franklin. Franklin still won his second term, but this guy truly pissed him off. So he set out to turn his hater into a fan, but he wanted to do it without paying any servile respect to him.
Franklin values frugality so highly that he refers to as the way to wealth, freedom from debt, and “producing affluence and independence” (Franklin 38). Franklin goes as far as to “avoid all appearances to the contrary [of being frugal]”, by always dressing plainly when out in public and not being seen at expensive, “places of idle diversion” (Franklin 33). Franklin’s combined frugality and humble appearance worked in his favor, as he was seen as a “thriving young man” whom merchants would import stationery for and “others would supply . . . with books” (Franklin 33). This frugality of Franklin’s gave him social standing, success, and riches.
In conclusion, Benjamin Franklin 's life was full of interest, public service, and his legacy made him a good leader and a good citizen. Franklin is one of the most extraordinary human beings the world has ever known. He was an enlightened American and a good citizen. He rose from obscurity to become one of the greatest men of history. Although Benjamin Franklin will be remembered for his contributions to science and the founding of the United States, in the long run it could well be his personal system of ethics that endures the longest.
He talks about things from the “establishment, that which [he] first formed, called the Union Fire Company” (Franklin 82) which was a big deal back then to inventing a new fireplace. He writes about his good deeds because Franklin wants to show what good Americans can do. His son would probably not have care as much, but the general public would care how Americans can prosper. Part three is all about how he prospered, how he lived the ‘American Dream’ Some believe that Benjamin Franklin wrote about his good deeds because he wanted to show Great Britain how great America was. He wanted to show that they could grow and prosper, that the Americans do not need Great Britain to survive, that they are fine by themselves, maybe ever
Franklin claims that he has been living long enough to see errors that he made, therefore as he grow older, he tend to “doubt of [his] own judgment” because nobody is perfect due to his past experiences (43). The informations that Franklin presents is to show his reputation that he is not perfect, also his constitution but he is open minded and willing to make what is best for the people. The perspective errors of the constitution have, is being “sacrificed to the public good” meaning all the flaw that constitution have will not be reveal to the people (44). Franklin is very passion about what is best for the people and their happiness, furthermore his characteristic is very respectful toward the citizen and the congress.
In the novel The Autobiography, authored by Benjamin Franklin, the writer reveals his intentions to break his bad habits, and acquire more fine customs. On page 1, Franklin states, “While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another”. This explains while he attempted in breaking a specific fault, he would always find another that he had to work on. Ben Franklin had a list of virtues that guided him to become a more disciplined individual, he struggled with the virtue of order the most. Out of the list of Franklin's virtues, frugality and tranquility are the traits I pursue during my time in high school because it inspires me to stay at peace and spread positive energy.
I believe that the two guiding principles that Benjamin Franklin value the most are adaptability and initiative. Throughout his autobiography he possesses many of the guiding principles but these two stick out the most. He adapts very well and he takes initiative even when he doesn’t have to. Benjamin Franklin possessed adaptability in his autobiography in many different ways.
The narrative tone of the book is clearly that of an older man looking back upon the accomplishments and mistakes of his youth, it is a deliberate attempt to reshape his past and look forward to a more fulfilling future. An element of self-reflection pervades the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin’s theme involved his philosophy of bettering himself for the betterment of others. Franklin uses speech so carefully to present an idealized version of himself and in many cases, makes his faults appear noble though the use of his language and writing. The (hopeful) result in constructing this particular writing was to create a sense of self-betterment while also keeping in mind that his audience would and could learn from his