The autobiography of benjamin franklin sparknotes pride

And this mode, which I at first put on with some violence to natural inclination, became at length so easy, and so habitual to me, that perhaps for these fifty years past no one has ever heard a dogmatical expression escape me. And to this habit after my character of integrity I think it principally owing that I had early so much weight with my fellow-citizens when I proposed new institutions, or alterations in the old, and so much influence in public councils when I became a member; for I was but a bad speaker, never eloquent, subject to much hesitation in my choice of words, hardly correct in language, and yet I generally carried my points.

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.

It is fortunate that Franklin added humility to his list. Pride is the greatest of sins. How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! The brood of evildoers shall never be named. Isaiah New King James Version. Benjamin Franklin had a remarkable impact in so many ways. Like Like. John Doe — There is a point where we all must make our point emphatically.

The poster apparently thinks that you must either agree with him or you are some kind of religious extremist. I know, I know, I am a firebrand who brings discredit to our cause. He he. Life is all about being curious, asking questions, and discovering your passion. And it can be fun! What the world needs now in addition to love is wisdom. We are the masters of our own disasters.

Taking ownership of your life brings power to make needed changes. True freedom begins with reliance on God to guide this process and provide what you need. Skip to content. Photo credit: Wikipedia In retrospect, I now find it strange how I was taught history. These names of virtues, with their precepts, were: 1. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

The autobiography of benjamin franklin sparknotes pride

Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. He had stated a few times that he did not want to publish it, but this was belied by the fact that he sent out copies of the manuscript to several friends over the years. The book-length version was published in French in but it was based on an early version of the manuscript, which only contained Part One.

There were issues, however, as this was a retranslation from the French. More editions circulated throughout the late s. While the work is almost universally lauded, there have been some notable criticisms. Lawrence found the work limiting in its quirky optimism, and Max Weber thought it was too capitalistic. Overall, though, it is a central work in the American canon and is frequently studied in schools and universities.

The Question and Answer section for The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. What plan does Ben Franklin implement so that he and his friends could have more books to read? About this time, our club meeting, not at a tavern, but in a little room of Mr. Grace's, set apart for that purpose, a proposition was made by me, that, since our books were often referr'd to in our disquisitions upon the queries, When he dies in his work is still unfinished and there is still no mention of such things.

This may be for a few reasons. First, Franklin wanted to keep the focus on the formative events of his early life in order to show young men, the intended audience, how to perfect themselves and succeed. Second, he may value the accomplishments delineated here more than those during the war; after all, he was profoundly proud of what he accomplished in Philadelphia and in the realm of science.

Third, this may have been a calculated act of humility. All Americans knew him and knew what he'd done during the s and beyond; he may have intended not to tell this very familiar tale. Is there a "real" Franklin? Can we determine what Franklin was really like from the Autobiography? Why or why not? This is an interesting question because, while there was actually one living, breathing, thinking Franklin who walked the earth, the Autobipgraphy gives us multiple Franklins.

There is the scrappy youth, the hardworking young man who flirts with dissolution, the stable family man, the politician, the philosopher, the scientist, the statesman; there is the ironic Franklin, the cerebral Franklin, and the practical Franklin. The Franklin in the latter half of the work is universalized, made into a symbolic figure worthy of emulation and admiration.

He barely seems like a "real" person in the book: instead he is the ideal, self-made American. Franklin's sociability allowed him to move with ease in all social milieux, from meetings with governors and kings to regiments of soldiers to the common people. While part of this was inherent in him, he also spent his life mastering the most effective ways to communicate.

These tips would thus be useful for all readers, allowing them to embrace Franklin-style sociability. As critic Steven Forde writes, Franklin "portrays his sociability, like his reasonableness, as an acquisition or contrivance, rather than as something native to him. This requires sublimating pride, however, and Franklin is open about the difficulties therein.