"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Age-Old Aphorisms

     The book has been sitting on B's bookshelf for years, and when I was looking for something to read the other day, I finally picked it up: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. The author is a former managing editor of Time magazine and current ceo of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank located not in Colorado but in Washington, DC. (He also wrote a book on Steve Jobs, as well as his latest, The Innovators, about the geeks who developed social media).

     Honestly, I didn't know much about Ben Franklin. I knew he was a printer and a Founding Father and that he "discovered" electricity.

     I did not know that he was a self-made man among all the powdered-wig aristocrats who created the new country. He was born and raised in Boston, but ran away to Philadelphia in 1723, when he was 17, and started in the printing business. He worked his way up -- occasionally employing some pretty "savvy" business acumen -- to become the head of what was then "a successful, vertically integrated media conglomerate," according to Isaacson, with a publishing house, the Philadelphia newspaper, an almanac series, an interest in the postal system, and eventually some valuable real-estate holdings.

     Franklin was in the vanguard of many American trends -- including early retirement. He retired from his printing business at age 42 in order to pursue his interest first in science (he made his famous kite experiment in 1752, which led to the development of the lightning rod) and then in politics and international relations.

     Today he is known as much for his maxims as his contributions to society. Some came out of his real life experiences. For example, there was once a rich and well-bred member of Philadelphia society that he wanted win over. So he approached the man and asked a favor. He wanted to borrow one of his rare books. The man lent him the book; Franklin returned it on time; and then later when they met "he spoke to me (which he had never done before) and with great civility, and he ever after manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions."

     And from that experience Franklin developed his advice: "He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged."

     But most of his aphorisms came from Poor Richard's Almanac -- which as best as I can tell was a series of pamphlets kind of like the special editions of magazines you see today at the checkout stand of the supermarket. Some of his maxims developed out of his own personal experience, some he made up, and others he "borrowed" from other sources and then polished up to make them more memorable. Here I've selected his Top Ten:

     He that lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.

     Where there's marriage without love, there will be love without marriage.

     Necessity never made a good bargain.

     He who multiplies riches multiplies cares.

     He's a fool that cannot conceal his wisdom.

     Vice knows she is ugly, so puts on her mask.

     Love your enemies, for they will tell you your faults.

     The sting of a reproach is the truth of it.

     Half the truth is often a great lie.

     God helps them that help themselves.

     Maybe you know a few others from Franklin, or elsewhere. I wonder how relevant they are to our lives today.

    

12 comments:

June said...

I own a book entitled "Fart Proudly" by Dr. Franklin. Quite an erudite wit, and quite the womanizer as well. But, well . . . "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do."

Anonymous said...

Good old Ben, I knew him well...not. I'm descended from those people he called "hotheads" (New England).

stephen Hayes said...

Yes, Ben was a remarkable man, unfortunately he was a miserable husband and a sad excuse for a father. So bad, in fact, that his son refused to join the new United States and settled in England.

Dick Klade said...

My father had a favorite, perhaps adapted from Ben's "fleas from dogs" admonition, although various versions appear in several places: "Don't get down in the mud and wallow with the pigs." It has served me well many times.

Bob Lowry said...

Like many influential and powerful people, Ben Franklin's life was full of contradictions. But, he has much to say and teach. His life has always fascinated me. The book you mention is not one I was aware of but will be added to my reading list.

Tom said...

Franklin had an illegitimate child, William, and never formally married his wife Deborah. (They had a daughter together and another son who died). But at least according to Isaacson, once Franklin had begun his common-law marriage with Deborah, while he still enjoyed the company of women and flirted with them, "there is no evidence of any serious sexual affair he had after his marriage to Deborah."

Perhaps it depends on what the definition of "is" is?

Anyway, as for the son, it seems that William settled in England after the Revolutionary War not because he hated his father, but because he was a Tory.

Anonymous said...

The high school I graduated from was named Franklin, thru the halls were his many quotes, a restaurant we went to often had his wit and charm Poor Richards, the meals were great and thrifty costing as I remember it is long gone, no one could make much money selling a steak meal complete with crudites, baked spuds a good steak rolls veggies and a dessert for such little money..He was what he was but I do remember he saved like hell to be able to retire young and pursue science projects and other things that have helped our country..ciao!

Olga said...

Interesting human being.

Anonymous said...

The very first comment to this posting, by June, is surely applicable to the next later posting!!!!
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Kirk said...

I'd recommend Franklin's own autobiography if you're still interested in his life.

He was almost certainly the richest man in colonial america of this time, according to research by Forbes magazine.

-blessed holy socks, the non-perishable-zealot said...

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Not sure if we're on the same page if you saw what I saw. Greetings, earthling. Because I was an actual NDE on the outskirts of the Great Beyond at 15 yet wasn’t allowed in, lemme share with you what I actually know Seventh-Heaven’s Big-Bang’s gonna be like for us if ya believe: meet this ultra-bombastic, ex-mortal-Upstairs for the most extra-blatant, guhroovaliciousness (-Austin POW!ers), pleasure-beyond-measure, Ultra-Yummy, Reality-Firepower-Addiction in the Great Beyond for a BIG-ol, kick-ass, party-hardy, robust-N-risqué, eternal-real-McCoy-warp-drive you DO NOT wanna miss the sink-your-teeth-in-the-rrrock’nNsmmmokin’-hot-deal: PLEASE KEEP HANDS/FEET INSIDE THE WIDE UNTIL WE MADE A CIRCUMFERENCE OF NEVER-ENDING-POSSIBILITIES. Yes, we’ll have a high-flying, immense-impression to be an outstanding-red-marker! For God, anything and everything and more! is possible!! Puh-leeeze meet me Upstairs. Do that for us. Cya soon, girl…

PS Ya might wanna look-up ALEXITHYMIA - that’s what I have, though my name’s not ALEX.

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