The life of Benjamin Franklin Part 1

Can hardly be considered an educated person if you don’t know the biography (or at least the main achievements) Benjamin Franklin a man whose image features on the hundred dollar bill. This unique person was born January 17, 1706 and lived to be 84 years old. By vocation he was what is now called universal geniuses (polymath), and not just great people.

To list the directions of its activities is not enough article. However, he went down in history as a political activist, inventor, scientist, diplomat, writer, publisher and journalist, and also simply extremely powerful people whose authority with great respect, treated as the most famous rich men of that time, and kings with presidents.

In this text we present the main, in our view highlights from the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. In fact, this work is considered to be one of the best classic books for those who want to become a successful person.

Any youth engaged in self-improvement, must read this book, especially because it is not expensive (gift edition does not count). For the overall development can read an interesting fact from the life of Benjamin Franklin.

Let’s take a look at the main achievements of our genius:

• Invented the lightning rod;
• Invented bifocals;
• Invented the Franklin stove;
• Have made many outstanding discoveries in the field of electricity;
• Created the first detailed map of the Gulf stream;
• Founded the first U.S. public library.
• He founded the Philadelphia Academy;
• Participated in the creation of the Declaration of independence and the U.S. Constitution;
• Actively engaged in publishing activities.

Truly impressive list, worthy of several lives the most talented people!

The formation of the personality of Franklin

In the words of Franklin, he from early childhood all of my money saved on buying books. We must understand that passion for knowledge manifested in Benjamin’s early childhood, when it from cover to cover reread his father’s library. Basically it consisted of religious polemical works.

Franklin especially loved the works of John Bunyan, author of the allegorical narratives “pilgrim’s progress” and “Spiritual warfare”. Other books are “Biographies” of Plutarch, “the Experience of the projects” by Daniel Defoe and the writing of Dr. Messer “Experiments about how to do good”. What the above things have had a tremendous impact on the personality of Benjamin Franklin.

Once in the hands of Franklin’s hit “memoirs of Socrates” by Xenophon. In this work, describes the unique Socratic method of knowledge and belief. It lies in the fact that nothing to prove, but only to ask questions. If the opponent is wrong, then with the right questions you can use two accounts to show all its insolvency. If the source is right, then you also do not remain in loss, as they only asked questions and did not say anything.

Being fascinated by this technique discussions, Benjamin has achieved outstanding results in her, as always practiced. It brought him many victories in disputes with people older and more authoritative than himself. However, after a few years, Franklin decided to abandon this method due to the fact that this system of dispute assumed a certain amount of self-confidence and pride inquirer.

In the absolute modesty, which made the fame of Franklin is known all over the world. Here I am immediately reminded of the aphorism that you can be modest without being wise, but it is impossible to be wise without being modest!

Instead of opinionated phrases like “certainly”, “undoubtedly”, Franklin began to use very restrained and modest of speech: “I think that”, “due To certain circumstances, I believe”, “If I’m not mistaken”, “perhaps you’re right, but if you look on the other hand” and so on.