Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Rules For Success
Benjamin Franklin was one of the brightest men in history. He is one of the founders of the most liberal country in the world – The United States. He was a writer, inventor, politician, diplomat, musician…, in a few words – a very successful man. He was born in a working-class family (he had always been very proud of that) and he made it to the top all by himself. How did he do it? There is not a simple answer to that, but what we know is that he created and followed 13 simple rules and this is what helped him a lot. According to him, sticking to these virtues was the most important factor for achieving his success:
1. Be economical: ‘Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.‘
2. Use your limited time properly: ‘Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.’
3. Don’t do bad things to people: ‘Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.’
4. Be a good person: ‘Imitate Jesus and Socrates.‘
5. Take it easy: ‘Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.’
6. Be clean: ‘Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.‘
7. Be objective: ‘Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.’
8. Patience and order: ‘Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.‘
9. Do not abuse food and alcohol: ‘Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.‘
10. Resolution: ‘Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.’
11. Speak only what makes sense: ‘Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.’
12. Don’t let venery run your life: ‘Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.’
13. Be direct and accurate: ‘Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.’
2009 – 100 dollar note with the face of Benjamin Franklin. Source: http://www.newmoney.gov/newmoney/files/100_Materials/100_GlossyFront_EN_WEB031210.pdf
According to Benjamin Franklin, these rules can help anybody become at least a little better person. Also, making the rules was the easier part, following them undeviatingly was the tough part. So, in the first place, you would need some discipline.
More about this famous person, you can read on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
Above you can watch the famous biography of Benjamin Franklin made according to his notes in his diary, which he kept personally.
Benjamin Frankin
Benjamin Franklin was an extraordinary man. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a political thinker, a successful entrepreneur, a talented scientist, and a major influence on the direction of American society. He was also a visionary who understood the importance of education, hard work, and an understanding of natural laws.
Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston and began working at the age of ten. He received very little formal education but was able to teach himself a great deal. He was extremely skilled with his hands and taught himself about printing and running a successful business. Franklin’s publications and print shop served as a window to the world and his writings conveyed the spirit of the Enlightenment.
Franklin’s scientific contributions were numerous and his dedication to the scientific study of natural law made him a major contributor to the success of the American Revolution. Franklin wrote a number of experiments that helped to explain the nature of electricity. His inventions, such as the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, and the odometer, ultimately changed the world. Franklin also supported the idea of a national postal system and helped to form the first public library in Philadelphia.
Franklin was an extremely important political figure and his contributions to the success of the American Revolution are indisputable. He was a key negotiator during the Paris Peace Talks and one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence. He served as a member of the Second Continental Congress and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
Throughout his life, Franklin remained a man of great intelligence and ambition. He lived by the motto, “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let every new year find you a better man.” He often wrote about the importance of humility, industriousness, and education. His legacy lives on in so many of his ideas and projects, his scientific achievements, and his pioneering spirit. He was a daring thinker who dared to envision a future of progress and possibility for the United States. In short, he was a complex genius, who set the example for what it means to be an American Patriot.
