The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example

Self-Improvement: A Central Theme in the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Barry Hardison HIUS 221 Rachel Love Self-Improvement: A Central Theme in the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin may seem to be just a narrative of the life of one of the most respected well-liked heroes of the United States. Even before Americans get to read the book itself, they are already taught about the valuable contributions that Franklin made in the early years of the country as a sovereign republic. With this in mind, there is the tendency of appreciating more the ideas and actions that Franklin that shaped the country during its founding years. However, a deeper understanding of how Franklin expressed his appreciation of his own experiences would lead to the conclusion that the central theme of the book may well be the concept of self-improvement. It is apparent that Benjamin Franklin was an example of how one ordinary American has been able to overcome the odds and become a much revered hero that he is nowadays. The book itself contains so many obvious examples of how he was able to improve himself intellectually, morally, spiritually, and even physically. Benjamin Franklin never claimed that he wanted to become perfect. However, he did provide the perfect example how self-improvement should be advanced. Franklin ended his formal schooling very early. At age 10, he quit school but this does not mean that he actually stopped his education also. Even as he worked to earn income for himself and for his family, he continued his education through reading so many books, including those that were considered too advanced for his age. Franklin was a hard worker and this was proven by how productive he was while working as an apprentice in the printing shop of his brother, James. He did not content himself with printing producing printed materials out of the manuscripts he came across with. Instead he read these and, in the process, acquired valuable knowledge on a wide range of subjects or topics. However, Franklin was not contented with just being a voracious reader. He also wanted to write works that could be read by many others. In the book, he mentioned about how he was fascinated with a reading material called Spectator and how he wished that he could write as well as the authors in it do. He actually tried to realize such wish by taking into account the meaning of each article in the Spectator and then rewriting it in his own words. In his autobiography, he wrote: “With this view I took some of the papers, and, making short hints of the sentiment in each sentence, laid them by a few days, and then, without looking at the book, try’d to compleat the papers again, by expressing each hinted sentiment at length, and as fully as it had been expressed before, in any suitable words that should come to hand.”1 This is a clear case of how at such a young age, Franklin managed to overcome the limitations his being without formal education. He did not succumb to the constraints of his work at the printing shop. Instead, he seized the opportunity to develop his skills in writing. It is clear that Franklin’s attitude towards intellectual pursuits is the major factor in his becoming one of the nation’s Founding Fathers. Many of his colleagues had much better educational backgrounds when compared to him. However, Franklin was able to communicate with them and even debate with them with an intellect as though he actually had advanced formal education. It was not just through his intelligence though that he managed to distinguish himself from the rest of the nation’s earliest leaders. Benjamin Franklin was also known as someone who bore the qualities of a respectable, hardworking, generous, and kindhearted individual. He was not just a good leader but also a good man. Again, this can be attributed largely to his appreciation of what a man should be in accordance to the rules of civility and to Christian beliefs. In his constant efforts to improve himself, Franklin has adhered to certain key principles which he believed would truly transform man for the better. Benjamin Franklin may be a learned man by virtue of his own efforts at educating himself but he is never loud about his ideas. In fact, he preferred to stay silent if he thinks that speaking his mind out may not at all benefit himself and others. For him silence is a virtue and of it he wrote: “speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”2 What he meant by this is that one should not express any idea verbally if the outcome would only be detrimental himself and others. In relation to this, he also believes that one should not engage in useless dialogues. Franklin’s intentions in this regard may have its merits. However, it is also at this point that people may tend to think that such self-imposed rule also has its disadvantages. This may be compared to self-censorship which means that an individual may try to silence himself if he deems it necessary because of the belief that what he has in mind may not produce positive results when actually expressed verbally. The problem here is that this may suppress instead some brilliant ideas from being discussed in the open merely because the originator does not think that it is worth mentioning by virtue of his subjective notions. It is possible that Franklin’s concept of self-restraint was shaped by his will to appear respectable in the company of men who came from the political, economic, and intellectual elite. Since he had been accepted into the said circle, he might have felt the pressure to stick to the norms and traditions that such a circle upheld. Because of this, he had to think over for several times the merits and demerits of what he is supposed to say. The 13 virtues that Franklin pointed out in the autobiography may well be considered as a guideline to becoming a good Christian or at most, a saint. It is inarguable that his inspiration in identifying the said virtues could only come from the Bible. During that time, the Bible is obviously the single most influential book that shape men’s character. However, Franklin did not just cite or quote the Bible. He also introduced some of his own ideas particularly in the detailed steps that should be taken. He did so by presenting his own experience in living up to the 13 virtues. Through this, however, people may think that the entire autobiography is an attempt at self-promotion. The impression would be that Franklin merely wanted to tell people how good he is and how he became so. It must be pointed out though that there is absolutely nothing wrong with self-promotion as long as it could inspire people to do good in whatever they endeavor they engage in that does not harm the interests of others. Franklin was a voracious reader but he was not like those who had studied in universities who were quick to cite specific parts of books written by philosophers as they try to expound on their point. Because his ideas were more based on practice rather than theory, he was prone to cite his experiences. This would naturally result in the impression that the autobiography was for boasting about what he had done and how he did it. The point however is not simply to question the motives of the author but to instead appreciate or criticize the ideas that he has raised. In reading Franklin’s autobiography, it would be better to focus on the correctness or the wrongness of the concepts that are being discussed. Through this, exploring further the mindset of Benjamin Franklin could become more productive. Bibliography Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Ed. by Charles W. Eliot. New York: P.F. Collier and Son Co., 1909. Read More