Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States. According to Baidu Encyclopedia, his profession is a scientist, philosopher, inventor, politician, diplomat, writer, and philanthropist. These "homes" are within the reach of ordinary people. The previous one was already very good. He was an encyclopedic figure with an astonishing breadth of interests and knowledge. Franklin was the son of a blacksmith and did not have a prominent family background. How did he do it? This can be seen from his autobiography.
Franklin’s father was a very far-sighted man. "So he sometimes takes me out for a walk to see how carpenters, masons, lathes, and copper workers work, so that he can see what my hobbies are and how to find ways to take advantage of them for me. Fixed in a certain profession on land. "It was not easy for people 300 years ago to have such advanced concepts. More than ten years ago, those of us born in the 1980s studied just to do well in college. As for what to do after college, no one told us what to do. No one told us how to choose a major or fill in the application form. Our understanding of the majors in the thick application form was only literal. I just filled in a major blindly, not knowing what I like, and wasted my test scores. Therefore, when I train girls now, I also pay special attention to experiential learning, cultivate her interests and hobbies, and avoid making the same mistakes again.
In addition to his father's training, Franklin himself paid great attention to virtue.
Master Hongzhi said: "The best way to get rid of the weeds in the wilderness is to plant crops on them. The best way to keep the soul free from disturbance is to use virtue To occupy it." In order to cultivate his own virtues, Franklin listed 13 virtues that he needed to cultivate, and then broke them down one by one, focusing on one virtue at a time. Once you achieve your goal, move on to the next one. Take a small notebook and draw a table to check yourself. In this way, Franklin acquired these wonderful qualities and lived a happy life.
He paid special attention to diligence and frugality.
Franklin entered this industry because his brother was engaged in the printing industry. He worked very hard and won praise from everyone. In the "Poor Charlie's Almanac" compiled later, there are many famous sayings about diligence, such as: "Diligence is the mother of success." "People must force things, don't let things force people." "Today's things are finished today, because you don't Know how many obstacles there are tomorrow. One today is worth two tomorrows." "Poor Charlie's Almanac" also has many famous quotes about frugality. "Be diligent and free, frugal and free." "Beware of small expenses. Small loopholes can sink a big ship." "If you buy things you don't need, it won't be long before you sell what you need." "The second bad habit is The first bad habit of lying is debt. ”
In today’s society, consumerism is prevalent. Businesses will try their best to create demand. If they are not careful, they will fall into the trap of consumerism. Many college students have fallen into the quagmire of online loans. , let alone pursuing a happy life, sometimes life will be threatened by debt collectors. But if we calm down and think about it, do we really need so many things? Franklin believed that the income required to maintain a person's life and health was minimal. When we have the ability to make money, we must also take precautions. How can we ensure that we can still maintain the living standards of our youth when we age. Since ordinary people have limited ability to make money, they must be more frugal. Nowadays, online shopping is very convenient. You can buy it at the touch of your finger without leaving home. I am often accused of useless things by public accounts. Housing prices in Beijing are so expensive, and it would be a waste to store clutter in a room worth tens of thousands per square meter. I used to imagine how convenient it would be to own something, but later I found that my thoughts always changed day by day, and things were put on hold for a short time. So I've changed my strategy now. When you want to buy something, you can add it to your shopping cart and then evaluate again after a while to see if not having this item during this period affects your life. If the answer is yes, place an order again.
Franklin believed that integrity was very important. ” I gradually became convinced that truth, honesty, and integrity in relationships were crucial to happiness in life. I wrote a letter of resolutions (which I still keep in my diary) and practiced them throughout my life.
"Sometimes when we tell a lie, we have to use many lies to cover up the lie, so the best way to save energy is not to lie. It is different from the previous agricultural era, when a person only came into contact with relatives and friends, but today Economic activities were more frequent before strangers and strangers, so our society needs integrity more.
Franklin was very studious, and his extensive knowledge was acquired through self-study. In his free time, he read a lot of books. He liked writing, so he consciously developed a set of writing methods: 1. Select excellent works. 3. Put them aside for a few days. Then write sentences in your own words. 4. Compare with the original text. 5. Use poetry to force yourself to accumulate vocabulary. 6. When you forget the original text, this comparison method is also applicable to English and Chinese. Translated. Improve your English writing.
Franklin has launched many activities and is very influential. What is his secret?
" The opposition and reluctance I encountered in soliciting sponsorship soon made me feel that any project which might be considered useful would raise the reputation of its promoter a little above that of his neighbours. It would be very ignorant of the time for a person to pretend to be the sponsor of a project that requires help from neighbors. So I tried to put myself in an inconspicuous place and claimed that it was the plan of a few friends who asked me to step in and submit it to someone they thought loved reading. This way, things went much smoother for me. And I will still handle it this way when encountering such a situation in the future. Because it has been successful every time, I can safely recommend it. Sacrifice a little vanity now, and you will be richly rewarded later. If it is difficult to determine whose credit it is, then someone who is more vain than you will feel justified and will not give in. At that time, even jealousy will be willing to give you justice, pluck out these false feathers, and return the favor to you. Their true owners. "
A tree that is beautiful in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Only by covering up one's own edge will people not be jealous.
When expressing his objections, he said: "Whenever the possibility is raised, When discussing a controversial point of view, I never use the words "certainly", "undoubtedly", or other words that give an opinion an air of dogmatism; rather, I think to myself, I am afraid that something is so and so, For some reason it seems to me, or I think it is, or I imagine things to be, or if I am not mistaken, that is the way they are. I believe this habit served me well when I had to hold on to my opinions over and over again and convince people of the measures I used to advocate from time to time.
How to make others accept your opinions sincerely? First of all, you should not be arbitrary and conceited in your attitude. Otherwise, others will feel insecure. Even if what you say makes sense, it will also arouse the resentment of others. Do not be aggressive. Expressing your opinions tactfully not only saves face for others, makes it easier for others to accept your opinions, but also leaves room for yourself. Confident but not arrogant.
Franklin, a great man, also carried out many revolutionary activities later in his life and became one of the founding fathers of the United States. However, due to the death of the author, his biography was not completed. The above is an excerpt from the completed section. We can learn from the methods of great people and move towards a happy life.