Practical applications: Ben Franklin humility Mindset
by SallyK
leave a comment
Ben Franklin’s Virtues – Humility
Pride goes before a fall, says a verse in Proverbs. And humility is the opposite of pride.
I recall from the Autobiography that humility was the toughest virtue, according to Ben.
He had a lot of accomplishments to be justly proud for. His inventions helped lots of people, even saving lives with devices like the lightening rod.
And he did not profit from them in financial terms, but had given them freely without patent. Manufacturers were free to make and sell these products to help fuel the budding American economy.
The last of Ben’s 13 Virtues:
13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates
Most people can associate Jesus with humility, but what do we know about Socrates? He was a Greek philosopher who lived about 400 years before Christ.
Socrates is known indirectly, through later writings by his students (including Plato and Aristotle). He ran afoul of the Athenian government, and was ordered to drink poison, which he did. Perhaps he became too proud for, paradoxically, being wise enough to recognize his own ignorance.
Interesting that Ben would choose to remind himself of Socrates.
It is a fine line between being confident due to one’s accomplishments, and being arrogant.
Given Ben’s other virtues which all speak to balance, it’s no surprise that humility made his list of virtues to practice.
Ben is a good role model even today, more than 200 years after his passing. He showed that dedicated efforts at self-improvement can move anyone forward in their lives. Though he never achieved perfection, he accomplished a lot. America as we know it would not exist without him.
