Entry 6: The $50 Bill, Self-Help, and Checkmarks

Franklin was such an important figure in American history. He played an integral role in so many of the events that shaped the country: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris in 1781, the Constitutional Congress. This man has, arguably, played a larger role in shaping America than almost any other leader during this time period.

Reading his autobiography allowed me to gain new insight into the life of this important American figure. I found some inconsistencies in his beliefs which intrigued me. At the beginning of his Autobiography, he says that he learned that "nothing was useful which was not honest," however, later he advises that appearance of traits is more important than the reality of actually possessing them. This makes me wonder what Franklin really thought, although I am tempted to believe he supported the latter idea.

It was also interesting to me to read that Franklin made a system of checks for improving his character. It seems to me that it would be somewhat counter-productive to work on one trait at a time, but then to move on to another one shortly after he felt that he had improved in it. Wouldn’t the progress made on the first trait evaporate as he quit focusing on it and became fixated with the next trait?

My skepticism of Franklin's method for personal change may have something to do with my feelings that true change within our character comes from God; goodness is naturally produced in the lives of believers through the work of the Holy Spirit. Those living in accordance with God's will will bear fruit as evidence of that. While a checklist might help one get there, I think there's more to building true character than marking off boxes on a tally sheet.