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He once wrote to a friend, "In short, I conceive that a great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things" (Franklin & Rogers 1996).
Since Franklin had come to understood these ideas related to happiness at a very young age, he was able to live a life that was not just satisfying for him, but rather, it was satisfying to him because of how beneficial he was to others. Knowing that giving to others could not just help others but also bring great satisfaction was something that he strongly believed that all people must do. He also believed that God had intended humans to act like this in order to achieve happiness because it was how God himself achieved happiness. "I believe, he [God] is pleased and delights in the Happiness of those he has created; and since without Virtue Man can have no happiness in this World, I firmly believe he delights to see me Virtuous because he is pleased when he sees Me Happy" (Franklin & Rogers 1996).
Today, more than ever, because of the fact that we live in such a materialistic society and there is so much emphasis put on what one has (or doesn't have), Franklin's theories on happiness and the satisfaction that comes not from things but from helping others, is more important than ever. Franklin's...
He believed that the "only constant and durable source of happiness is in acts of humanity" (Franklin & Rogers 1996) as well as the acts that take place in meaningful friendships and the goodness that comes out of benevolent acts. Franklin was constantly communicating his beliefs through the actions that he carried out in his own life -- both professionally and personally. He had a meaningful marriage, good friendships, and he was always helping the greater good. He truly worked for the greater good of humanity, as is noted in the opening paragraph to this paper with his many inventions and the many different institutions he founded. He was a man who was constantly trying to better society and the lives of people who lived in that society. This brought him great happiness.
References
Franklin, Benjamin. & Rogers, George L. (1996). Benjamin Franklin: The Art of Virtue:
His Formula for Successful Living. Acorn Publishing; 3rd edition.
Pangle, Lorraine Smith. (2007). The Political Philosophy of Benjamin Franklin. The John
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life The first specific interesting concept I encountered was in Michalko (2001, p. 11). The concept was "Connecting the Unconnected." The ability to see connections where there ordinarily are no such connections, according to the author, is one of the traits of "creative geniuses, where they have "a facility to connect the unconnected by forcing relationships that enable them to see things to which others are blind."
Franklin Autobiography Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is not only a story of his own relentless attempts at self-improvement, but also designed to be an early advice manual for others who intend to follow in his footsteps. He certainly was one of the most successful men on the 18th Century, rising from poverty and obscurity in Boston to owning a successful printing business, founding the University of Pennsylvania and the American Philosophical Society,
"This gentleman, a stranger to me, stopped one day at my door, and asked me if I was the young man who had lately opened a new printing-house. Being answered in the affirmative, he said he was sorry for me, because it was an expensive undertaking, and the expense would be lost; for Philadelphia was a sinking place.... And at last I had the pleasure of seeing him give
Benjamin Franklin is most often regarded for his role as a founding father. Franklin drafted and then later signed the Declaration of Independence. While this may have been Franklin's most important act, there are many others he should be remembered for. Franklin was an influential man and responsible for many changes in society, changes that formed the basis for the society we have today, such as starting the first public
He also related how his small group of friends played tricks with their unwitting neighbors. His friends would set fire on alcohol, rekindled candles blown out, imitate lightning flashes or by touching or kissing and make an artificial spider move (Bellis). Using the Leyden jar, Benjamin made an electrical batter, roasted a fowl on a spit fired with electricity, ignited alcohol by electricity through water, fired gunpowder and shocked wine
Benjamin Franklin: an American life Walter Isaacson's book "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" was published by Simon and Schuster in 2003 and has 608 pages. The book is meant to discuss with regard to Benjamin Franklin's life from a whole different perspective when compared to traditional biographies concerning the Founding Father. The main topic addressed is Benjamin Franklin, as the book covers a series of aspects about his life, his effect