Benjamin Franklin's Accomplishments

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Benjamin Franklin was a man who had many contributions to society that have had lasting impressions. Some of these include the invention of the lightning rod, a new type of stove and bifocals. Besides his many academic achievements, he was also one of the key patrons in the making of the United States of America. “William Penn might have founded Philadelphia, but it's Benjamin Franklin who gave the city a civic identity, a communal soul, and a future,” (Tirdad Derakhshani). Obviously, Franklin had many accomplishments, and to achieve these, he had a plan for self-improvement. As stated in, The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin, the effects of his personal goals for self-improvement include: moral perfection, act of realizing mistakes, and…show more content…
By this, he means to try to be an impeccable citizen according to most people’s standards. “I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into,” (pg. 141, line 2). The effect of this experiment would lead to an honest man in most people’s minds, and a greatly revered source of knowledge and wisdom. "If to be venerated for benevolence, if to be admired for talents, if to be esteemed for patriotism…can gratify the human mind, you must have the pleasing consolation to know that you did not live in vain…so long as I retain my memory, you will be recollected with respect, veneration, and affection, by your sincere friend, George Washington,” (Frank D. Casale). Truly, Franklin’s great endeavor lead him to have great respect in…show more content…
As Benjamin followed his little booklet, marking his shortcomings in each of his thirteen virtues, he began to notice that he had a more difficult time with the Order part of his journey. “Moreover, the demands of his printing business meant that he couldn’t always follow the exacting daily timetable that he set for himself,” (Mason Currey). Order was to separate rest time from work time, and to keep all of your possessions in place. So when Franklin had to bring work home, he felt as though he was neglecting this piece of his virtues. However, he finally came to this conclusion, “In truth, I found myself incorrigible with respect to Order… But, on the whole, though 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 happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it…” (pg. 145, line 39). So even though he wasn’t completely reformed, he felt better just having attempted and improved this

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