The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
"Don't give too much for the whistle."
What I’m stealing
Be frugal in your daily existence
Pursue idiosyncratic forms of alpha
Cultivate or force periodic seasons of idleness, isolation, boredom
Captain “the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth”
Avoid “publik amusements”
Strive for virtuosity, not perfection
Imitate Jesus and Socrates “The most acceptable service of God is doing good to man”
Capitalize on the “little advantages that occur every day.”
Resist idleness “scour the anchor.”
Don't give too much for the whistle
Commentary
This was an unanticipated joy to read. I tore through it. Ben Franklin is funny, and I was fascinated by his recounting of what life was like nearly three hundred years ago.
Boredom and Idleness - the amount of boredom and idle time the average person endured in comparison to modern life was substantial. Thinking on this, I suspect most of one's time was occupied with the various tasks required for survival. Tending to one’s home, kids, farm, livestock, procuring fuel for stoves and fires, preparing meals, etc. If there was any downtime, the average person was likely chatting with a neighbor, playing a crude instrument, drinking alcohol, attending mass, or reading one of but a few readily available books. The options for how to spend one’s time were unbelievably limited by comparison to modern standards. I suspect that Ben Franklin was one of the rare few people of the time who seemed to grasp that boredom was a key ingredient to productivity.
This gave me occasion to observe, that, when men are employ'd, they are best content'd; for on the days they worked they were good-natur'd and cheerful, and, with the consciousness of having done a good day's work, they spent the evening jollily; but on our idle days they were mutinous and quarrelsome, finding fault with their pork, the bread, etc., and in continual ill-humour, which put me in mind of a sea-captain, whose rule it was to keep his men constantly at work; and, when his mate once told him that they had done everything, and there was nothing further to employ them about, "Oh," says he, "make them scour the anchor. (Page 95)
Large families - See bordom and idleness. My thought is that large families were common in this era because child-rearing was a desirable way to occupy one’s time. Humans tend to want to create when they are bored and idle, and creating life is perhaps the most primal form of creation our species is capable of.
Religion - I found it interesting that Ben Franklin was not particularly religious. When he did attend a service he recounts how well the person in the pulpit orates. He never once mentions the substance of the sermon but only the effectiveness with which the orator could enrapture the attention of the masses that gathered. I think what Franklin is attempting to share is that he developed his ability as an effective orator himself by attending and replicating the best orators of his time, who just happened to be preachers.
He had a loud and clear voice, and articulated his words and sentences so perfectly, that he might be heard and understood at a great distance, especially as his auditories, however numerous, observ'd the most exact silence. He preach'd one evening from the top of the Courthouse steps, which are in the middle of Market-street, and on the west side of Second-street, which crosses it at right angles.
Both streets were fill'd with his hearers to a considerable distance. Being among the hindmost in Market-street, I had the curiosity to learn how far he could be heard, by retiring backwards down the street towards the river; and I found his voice distinct till I came near Front-street, when some noise in that street obscur'd it. Imagining then a semicircle, of which my distance should be the radius, and that it were fill'd with auditors, to each of whom I allow'd two square feet, I computed that he might well be heard by more than thirty thousand. (page 67)
The highly communal nature of society - It struck me that so much of Ben Franklin’s early success was due to the charitable nature and willingness of complete strangers to open their homes to him for meals and boarding. This societal nature is largely out of existence, in my view. How many Ben Franklin approximates are out there that are snuffed out just because this type of community support is lacking?
Delays and inconveniences - I suspect this was not uncommon during the time period, but in comparison to our current modern infrastructure, Franklin was frequently plagued by delays relating to either equipment and supplies for his business and letters being lost or delayed by weeks or months. He was frequently given the run around by older, more powerful men, resulting in his having to start from scratch on multiple occasions throughout his life. He partnered with men of questionable virtues as he had no other options. During his travels he was forced to wait weeks for ships to depart after traveling inconvenient distances to get to where the ship was leaving from. Once aboard ships, they were frequently lost, subject to inclement weather, causing significant delay, or off course, and landed at a location other than intended.
Access to books and education - I think this is a bit of a double-edged sword as I suspect that books in particular, while harder to come by, were of much higher quality. In modern times, with our infinite access to books and information, we have a much higher probability of picking up a mediocre book that might be considered a waste of time.
Slow Productivity - (see also Delays and Inconveniences above) Franklin’s list of accomplishments and useful abilities rivals or exceeds that of our modern-day productivity archetype. During a time period when all aspects of life moved exponentially slower.
Frugality - frugal in his regular everyday expenditures so he could be generous and bet big when the opportunities presented themselves.
Abstinence - entertainment, alcohol, meat, were a few that I noticed he mentioned repeatedly.
BF is an OG meal prepper - Franklin arranged for lunches to be cooked and delivered to his place of work this has always been a significant source of alpha.
Dog ears, highlights, marginalia
At his table he liked to have, as often as he could, some sensible friend or neighbor to converse with, and always took care to start some ingenious or useful topic for discourse, which might tend to improve the minds of his children (Page 4)
He therefore sometimes took me to walk with him, and see joiners, bricklayers, turners, braziers, etc., at their work, that he might observe my inclination, and endeavor to fix it on some trade or other on land. It has ever since been a pleasure to me to see good workmen handle their tools; and it has been useful to me, having learnt so much by it as to be able to do little jobs myself in my house when a workman could not readily be got, and to construct little machines for my experiments, while the intention of making the experiment was fresh and warm in my mind. (Page 6)
Plutarch's Lives there was in which I read abundantly, (Page 7)
But I had another advantage in it. My brother and the rest going from the printinghouse to their meals, I remained there alone, and, dispatching presently my light repast, which often was no more than a bisket or a slice of bread, a handful of raisins or a tart from the pastry-cook's, and a glass of had the rest of the time till their return for study, in which I made the greater progress, from that greater clearness of head and quicker apprehension which usually attend temperance in eating and he paid for my the water, drinking. (Page 8)
Socrates confuted his opponents in argument by asking questions so skillfully devised that the answers would confirm the questioner's position or show the error of the opponent (Page 13)
Note: Footnote 21
So convenient a thing is it to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do. (Page 22)
who had from me a list of forty dishes, to be prepar'd for us at different times, in all which there was neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, and the whim suited me the better at this time from the cheapness of it, not costing us above eighteenpence sterling each per week (Page 23)
Note: Og meal prepper.
At my first admission into this printing-house I took to working at press, imagining I felt a want of the bodily exercise I had been us'd to in America, where presswork is mix'd with composing. I drank only water; the other workmen, near fifty in number, were great guzzlers of beer. On occasion, and down stairs a large form of types in each hand, when others carried but one in both hands. They wondered to see, from this and several instances, that the Water-American, as they called me, was stronger than themselves, who drank strong beer! We had an alehouse boy who attended always in the house to supply the workmen. My companion at the press drank every day a pint before breakfast, a pint at breakfast with his bread and cheese, a pint between breakfast and dinner, a pint at dinner, a pint in the afternoon about six o'clock, and another when he had done his day's work. I thought it a detestable custom; but it was necessary, he suppos'd, to drink strong beer, that he might be strong to labour. I endeavoured to convince him that the bodily strength afforded by beer could only be in proportion to the grain or flour of the barley dissolved in the water of which it was made; that there was more flour in a pennyworth of bread; and therefore, if he would eat that with a pint of water, it would give him more strength than a quart of beer. He drank on, however, and had four or five shillings to pay out of his wages every Saturday night for that muddling liquor, an expense I was free from. And thus these poor devils keep themselves always under. (Page 29)
Note: Always under
Perhaps the most important part of that journal is the plan to be found in it, which I formed at sea, for regulating my future conduct in life. It is the more remarkable, as being formed when I was so young, and yet being pretty faithfully adhered to quite thro' to old age. (Page 34)
Note: The advantages of being “at sea”
Mr. Denham took a store in Water-street, where we open'd our goods; I attended the business diligently, studied accounts, and grew, in a little time, expert at selling. (Page 34)
Note: Another seller
truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I form'd written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to practice them ever while I lived (Page 37)
I should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year, I had form'd most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which was called the JUNTO; we met on Friday evenings. The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss'd by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased. Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute, or desire of victory; and, to prevent warmth, all expressions of positiveness in opinions, or direct contradiction, were after some time made contraband, and prohibited under small pecuniary penalties. (Page 38)
This was another advantage gain'd by my being able to write. (Page 44)
Note: Another writer
reading became fashionable; and our people, having no publick amusements to divert their attention from study, became better acquainted with books, and in a few years were observ'd by strangers to be better instructed and more intelligent than people of the same rank generally are in other countries (Page 47)
I therefore put myself as much as I could out of sight, and as they thought lovers of reading. In this way my affair went on more sanity, and I ever after present little sacrifice of your vanity will afterwards be amply repaid. If it remains a while uncertain practis'd it on such occasions; and, from my frequent successes, can heartily recommend it. (Page 48)
This library afforded me the means of improvement by constant study, for which I set apart an hour or two each day, and thus repair'd in some degree the loss of the learned education my father once intended for me. (Page 48)
"He that would thrive, must ask his wife." (Page 48)
I never was without some religious principles. I never doubted, for instance, the existence of the Deity; that he made the world, and govern'd it by his Providence; that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter. These I esteem'd the essentials of every religion; and, being to be found in all the religions we had in our country, I respected them all, tho' with different degrees of respect, as I found them more or less mix'd with other articles, which, without any tendency to inspire, promote, or confirm morality, serv'd principally to divide us, and make us unfriendly to one another (Page 48)
all to me very dry, uninteresting, and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforc'd, their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens. (Page 49)
My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, (Page 51)
a benevolent man should allow a few faults in himself, to keep his friends in countenance (Page 55)
In truth, I found myself incorrigible with respect to Order; and now I am grown old, and memory bad, I feel very sensibly the want of it. 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 endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it; as those who aim at perfect writing by imitating the engraved copies, tho' they never reach the wish'd-for excellence of those copies, their hand is mended by the endeavour, and is tolerable while it continues fair and legible. (Page 55)
I even forbid myself, agreeably to the old laws of our Junto, the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fix'd opinion, such as certainly, undoubtedly, etc., and I adopted, instead of them, I conceive, I apprehend, or I imagine a thing to be so or so; or it so appears to me at present (Page 56)
"That the great affairs of the world, the wars, revolutions, etc., are carried on and effected by parties.
"That the view of these parties is their present general interest, or what they take to be such.
"That the different views of these different parties occasion all confusion.
"That while a party is carrying on a general design, each man has his particular private interest in view.
"That as soon as a party has gain'd its general point, each member becomes intent upon his particular interest; which, thwarting others, breaks that party into divisions, and occasions more confusion. (Page 56)
the essentials of every known religion, and being viz.:
free of everything that might shock the professors of any religion. It is express'd in these words, "That there is one God, who made all things.
"That he governs the world by his providence.
"That he ought to be worshiped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving.
"But that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man.
B. F."
"That the soul is immortal.
"And that God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice, either here or hereafter." (Page 57)
members should engage to afford their advice, assistance, and support to each other in promoting one another's interests, business, and advancement in life; that, for distinction, we should be call'd The Society of the Free and Easy (Page 57)
This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, "He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged." (Page 63)
I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me asham'd of that, into the collector's dish, gold and all. (Page 66)
Note: Who is this Mr Whitefield character?
That, as as described in it, we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously. (Page 74)
The orator acknowledg'd the fault, but laid it upon and then endeavoured to excuse the rum by saying, "The Great Spirit, who made all things, made everything for some use, and whatever use he design'd anything for, that use it should always be put to. Now, when he made rum, he said, 'Let this be for the Indians to get drunk with,' and it must be so." And, indeed, if it be the design of Providence to extirpate these savages in order to make room for cultivators of the earth, it seems not improbable that rum may be the appointed means. It has already annihilated all the tribes who formerly inhabited the sea-coast (Page 78)
Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day. (Page 81)
disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them. (Page 85)
This gave me occasion to observe, that, when men are employ'd, they are best content'd; for on the days they worked they were good-natur'd and cheerful, and, with the consciousness of having done a good day's work, they spent the evening jollily; but on our idle days they were mutinous and quarrelsome, finding fault with their pork, the bread, etc., and in continual ill-humour, which put me in mind of a sea-captain, whose rule it was to keep his men constantly at work; and, when his mate once told him that they had done everything, and there was nothing further to employ them about, "Oh," says he, "make them scour the anchor. (Page 95)
Don't give too much for the whistle (Page 117)