The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
1793
Memoir and writings of one of our founding fathers.

This autobiography is one of the most influential in the genre. The structure and organization of the autobiography has been influential to others as well as how he wrote and what he wrote about. Benjamin Franklin was one of the most successful Americans in history, becoming very wealthy and owning many businesses. He was a self made man starting at an early age when he left home to make a life for himself. He was originally apprenticed to one of his older brothers and had a falling out. He ran away to another state and started many different businesses in order to make ends meet. The autobiography recounts his early years and his eventual success in businesses.

There are many parts to the autobiography including early years, letters to his son, relationships with his family and even his failings. Benjamin Franklin learned many valuable lessons while growing up and running businesses and compiles them here for all of us to benefit. He would work daily on improving himself and becoming a better man. He was almost obsessive in his search for perfection. He admits that he failed at some of the lessons he wrote down but says the importance is the process of improvement.
Here are the 13 virtues, as he calls them.

1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

He would work on one of the virtues at a time until he mastered the virtue and them move on to the next. He organized them in a way that one virtue would help with the next one. He carried a little journal around and would write if he succeeded or failed at a virtue.
There are over 3,000 people who highlighted this passage in the Kindle version. These 13 virtues are always motivational to me. I have read this work 3 or 4 times and always refer to it when I need some motivation in my life. Reading this book always makes me more productive and creative with whatever I am doing. I was reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and came across similar ideas in that. (Available for free in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library if you have a Prime account) Why pay for that book when you can go to the source for free? Franklin lived his life as an example to others and wrote this autobiography to inspire other people to do great things. His most admitted failing was lack of humility. Over 200 years after his death he is still being read and discussed. I think he had a right to be not so humble!
Download a sample or the entire book for free! and pass it on. This is a great book to gift to people in your life. Not only is it an autobiography of a great man but a guide to improve your own life, no matter how successful you are.
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