The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin       

Summary

Ben Franklin's autobiography. Fascinating read from a man Charlie Munger called his favourite human of all time

Rating: 4/5

Notes

Started reading and writing early in his teens

Started being vegetarian early and spent the rest of his money on books

Moved to New York by himself at 17 after a fight with his mother

Left for Philly short after on a tremendous journey

All his friends loved to read

He always chose to drink water instead of beer, which everyone drank around him

Formulated his life plan on his trip back to Philly from London and followed it throughout his life

He created a junto, a group of people who discussed issues and topics of the day

An advantage of him being able to write - to explain difficult concepts to the common people

One of his biggest regrets was not writing to Ms. Read when he ent to London but did end up marrying her years later

He started a subscription library for people in his town and made reading cool

‘See’st thou a man diligent in his callingn, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before small men’

‘Be that would thrive, must ask his wife’

Ben’s 13 virtues

• Temperance: eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation
• Silence: speak not what doesn’t benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling convos
• Order: let all things have its place, let each part of your business have it’ time
• Resolution: resolve to perform what you ought
• Fragility: make no expose but to do good to others or yourself; waste nothing
• Industry: lose no time; be always employed in something useful
• Sinceity: use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, speak accordingly
• Justice: wrong no one by doing injuries
• Moderation: avoid extremes
• Cleanliness: tolerate no unorderlinenss in body odour or habitation
• Tranquility: be not disturbed at triflers
• Chastity: rarely use sex but for health and offspring
• Humility: imitate jesus and socrates

He never reached all virtues but the path and progress made were what made him a better man

‘Few in public affairs act in a view to the good of mankind’

‘After getting the first one hundred pounds, getting the second is much easier’ - with money

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