Benjamin Franklin's
Self-Improvement Philosophy:
The Spirit-Mind-Body Connection
Centuries before it was fashionable, Ben Franklin understood the
importance of a holistic approach to the self. His methods of self-improvement
made an important connection between the spirit, the mind and the body.
Franklin's entire life reflected his belief in self-improvement, and from
adolescence until his death at eighty-four, he worked constantly to improve
himself.
SPIRIT: Moral Perfection
As a youth, Franklin didn't always behave responsibly. At the
age of 20, he decided to change the direction of his life by embarking on a
course he called "moral perfection." He created a list of resolutions to follow.
He resolved to be more frugal so he could save enough money to repay debts he
owed. He decided he would be honest "in every word and action." He promised to
be industrious "to whatever business I take in hand." He vowed "to speak ill of
no man whatever, not even in a manner of truth" and to "speak all the good I
know of every body."
MIND: Self-Education
Ben apprenticed at a printing
shop, and it was there he decided to improve his writing abilities. He studied
writings of authors whose style he liked, then practiced writing essays in their
same style. He re-wrote famous essays, trying to improve them. He wrote
sentences of an essay on slips of paper, shuffled the slips, and reassembled
them in the correct order.
During his apprenticeship, he
was exposed to a variety of books and he read everything he could. Not only was
he an avid reader, but he loved to discuss what he read!
Franklin's endless curiosity
helped him maintain a spirit of lifelong learning. He continued his scientific
inquiries, he corresponded with some of the greatest minds of the 18th
century, he met with scholars and
scientists in every country, and he learned French late in life.
BODY: Physical Activity
When most people think of Ben Franklin, they don't usually think
of an athlete. However, Franklin was an early proponent of physical fitness. In
an age when few people knew how to swim, Franklin taught himself how to swim,
and was an avid swimmer all his life. He even considered becoming a full-time
swim instructor, and is in the Swimming Hall of Fame.
In England, Franklin found work in a print shop where most of
the apprentices spent much of their time getting drunk. Franklin knew that
the mind and body were much more productive when not impaired by alcohol.
Franklin decided to drink water instead of beer and encouraged his co-workers to
do the same. He wasn't successful at convincing all his colleagues to change
their ways, but Franklin's clear-headed work and productive physical strength
were recognized and rewarded with promotions. Most printers could only carry a
single tray of heavy lead type, while Ben Franklin was known for carrying two
trays!
If there was any one theme throughout Ben Franklin's life, it
was self-improvement. He was one of seventeen children; a son of a poor
candle maker. He had less than two years of formal education and began his
adulthood entirely on his own. Yet he became a wealthy man by eighteenth century
standards and one of the most respected intellects of the Western world. He was
a model for the rags-to-riches story of the self-made man.
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