Benjamin Franklin's Early Life, Virtues, And Politics

Benjamin Franklin wrote about many things in his autobiography these include his Early life, Virtues, and Politics. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was a good read, It was a great experience learning about him in his book. Franklin had a pretty amazing life, he did many things, he accomplished so much in his long life. He was also a very kind and caring man, he believed in bettering the lives of people around him. He was also a big people person many people wanted to be acquainted with him even when he wasn’t well known. He was well known for his generosity of opening up the first library and university. Franklin was a very easy fooled person he was so generous helping his friends which would promise him repayment but he would never

Franklin left his brother for a better life in Philadelphia he was so unhappy working for him that he ran away. It was a long journey to Philadelphia he ended up getting really sick on the way but soon recovered when he got close (Franklin, Pg. 22). Franklin had no idea what to do when he got there he also had very little money to buy the necessities that he needed, he had just enough for food. “I was surpriz’d at the quantity, but took it, and, having no room in my pocket, walk’d off with a roll under each arm, and eating the other.” (Franklin, Pg. 24) While Benjamin was in Philadelphia he was living with a man by the name of Keimer, he also gave Franklin a job at his printing office (Franklin, Pg. 25). Franklin worked with Keimer for awhile before he got noticed by the provinces governor (Franklin, Pg. 26). Franklin took leave to Boston for business purposes while he was there he went to see his family. “My unexpected appearance surpriz’d the family; all were, however, very glad to see me, and made me welcome, except my brother” (Franklin, Pg. 27). Franklin worked his absolute hardest to make his own printing shop, his dream came true when he met the Governor. The Governor helped him set up his printing shop and even offered to buy his equipment for his shop. As Franklin progressed in his career and into his middle ages he began

Franklin was known as a perfectionist he wanted everything about himself to be perfect, he thought this might happen if he perfected all 13 virtues. He spent most of his life trying to master all 13 of them. Franklin wanted to take it slow, he wanted to perfect one at a time, this took a very long time he never actually succeeded with perfecting all 13. “But, on the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it. (Franklin, Pg. 76) Franklin read a lot of religious texts, and poems promoting virtuous behavior (Franklin. Pgs. 71-73). He was beginning to get upset with himself because he could not perfect the virtue ORDER, he was stuck and could not move on this caused him a great deal of distress. Benjamin Franklin actually wrote a book on the virtues and how to perfect them. “I purposed writing a little comment on each virtue, in which I would have shown the advantages of possessing it, and the mischiefs attending its opposite vice; and I should have called my book The Art of Virtues” (Franklin, Pg. 76). Franklin was okay with never reaching perfection because he was happy where he was in his life. Franklin became a better man on his journey through his mastering of the virtues, he