Ben Franklin writes that he tried never to overuse words meaning very categorical statements that forcefully impose on someone his right, will, conviction. Because the purpose of any conversation is to inform or be informed, not to listen to a sermon that is to confuse you or you.

Reasonable and wise people should not weaken their persuasive power by overconfident way of being that discourages the listener and causes the willingness to resist. And resisting can destroy the purpose for which I use the gift of speech and speech.

A categorical tone in expressing statements evokes resistance and objection in the listener, making it difficult to pay due attention to it. Everyone likes to listen, but nobody likes to be persuaded, forced and forced to convince them to something.

Habits.

Bad habits must be eradicated, and good habits must be introduced and perpetuated in their place before we are able to continue to do what is right.

A favor or a request.

‚The one who does you a favor once will be more willing to do another one than the one you helped.’

When Franklin was to be re-elected as a writer for another term in the Congregation, a new member of Franklin, a very wealthy and educated member, expressed his disagreement with it, presenting another candidate for the position. However, Franklin was elected anyway. Instead of fighting a new fellow who seemed to be unlikely to be very fond of him at first, Franklin found out that he had a certain prince in his library that Franklin was eager to study. So he wrote a letter asking to borrow a book. He quickly received a reply along with the book sent to him. Franklin returned it after 7 days, with a heartfelt thanks. At the next meeting, a new member approached Franklin, and so began their friendship, which lasted until the death of this ‚count’. It is not worth responding to hostility with hostility and continuing the dispute. It is enough to approach the matter tactically and strategically, find a positive solution that will make an enemy or an enemy your ally. Just as one should not „lick up”, insistently seek the favor and recognition of other people, because it heralds no less catastrophe than a hostile attitude.

List of Franklin’s virtues:

1. Moderate – Do not eat to dullness, do not drink to excitement.
2. Silence – Only speak when it is of use to you or others, and avoid vain conversations.
3. Order – Let all your actions have their place, let all your activities have their time.
4. Resolutions – Resolve to do what you should, do what you set out to do without mistakes.
5. Savings – Make only those expenses that are good for you or others, i.e. don’t waste anything.
6. Diligence – Don’t waste your time, always do something useful, give up all unproductive activities.
7. Honesty – Do not stoop to harmful deception, think innocently and fairly as you say, speak alike.
8. Justice – Do not do evil by harming someone or denying them benefits to which you are obliged.
9. Restraint – Avoid extremes, don’t feel hurt like you think you should.
10. Cleanliness – Do not tolerate any uncleanness or carnal, neither clothes nor dwelling place (I would add, neither thoughts nor deeds).
11. Peace of mind – Do not get frustrated about trifles, common issues and those that cannot be avoided.
12. Bodily austerity – Rarely use your sexuality, solely for the sake of health or your offspring, never for dullness, weakness, or damage to your or someone else’s reputation.
13. Humility – Follow Jesus and Socrates.

Striving for perfection and perfection.

Franklin believed that he had never perfected some of the virtues, especially humility and order, but the mere pursuit of perfection and effort made him a better and happier person. It is impossible to be perfect and perfect, but this striving for perfection and perfection makes us develop, enter a higher level, and improve ourselves. Like those who seek to copy an engraved handwriting, they will never achieve perfection, but their hand becomes so skilled that their handwriting becomes beautiful and legible.

Modesty in conversation.

Present your opinions and views in a modest way, do not force anything on anyone or persuade them. Use words mentioned in earlier parts of the book, eg „I think”, I think „I think” etc. This results in better acceptance of your opinion and less resistance from the interlocutor. This way of talking also results in the fact that if you think you don’t feel ashamed, it’s easier to admit your mistakes than if you stood by your opinion. And more importantly, it is much easier to convince the interlocutor of your opinion, to act, if you were right.

Anyone can be successful – it’s that SIMPLE.

Franklin believed and rightly ruled that one man with certain abilities, skills, can make great changes and achieve a lot, if he only formulates an appropriate plan and, abandoning all entertainment and activities / activities / thoughts that distract him, will make the implementation of the plan the only goal of his actions, efforts and thoughts.

Everyone has their own definition of success. One man will be happy to earn 70,000. Every year, another person will not be lucky with earnings of up to 20 million a year. For this the issue of other values, desires and human dreams. Each of us is different, everyone wants something different from life.

The hardest thing is to earn your first dollar.

After earning your first hundred pounds, it is much easier to earn your second hundred. Money, because by its very nature, it keeps multiplying itself. Provided that the steward of the garden, with his knowledge and wisdom, takes care of them properly.

Affiliate Agreement.

Always write down in the contract all the things that are crucial and important for a given case for both partners. So that there is no room for any disputes, conflicts and discussions. Even when you respect your partner, never take their word for it. Sometimes a little jealousy, partner’s troubles, may be the reason for failure to fulfill the verbal agreement. That is why it is so important to draw up partnership agreements signed by both parties.

Lottery.

Franklin proposed the creation of a lottery that would cover the expenses associated with building Stanowski artillery and acquiring the guns. Interesting idea to raise funds for some venture.

Franklin’s negotiations for the guns.

In my words, not Franklin. They drank a general who initially did not agree to help them. After the meeting sprinkled with Madeira, they agreed to lend them 6 cannons, then negotiated 10 and in the final phase 18. Alcohol and having fun bind people, if you know how to approach people. They built a bond and a friendly relationship with him, so the general was ready to lend them these cannons. Without creating an opportunity to meet the general over a glass of the aforementioned drink, probably Franklin and his companions would have returned with nothing.

A case of honor.

If they want to take away a position, order or performance of something. In business, it can be a competitive person or company. Never ask, don’t say no, don’t quit. If they want someone else to replace you, they have to take it away from me. The question is, how much do you care about what they want to collect? I know that sometimes the game is not worth the candle. Therefore, in any such situation, it must be seriously considered.

Use other people’s money

Franklin used other people’s money to raise funds for his various initiatives, ideas, inventions, activities for the public good. He collected donations from investors and used the annual subscription. As a result, he could implement virtually any useful project, not with his own money. All in all, how did he do it ?:

– State, public and private investors in a given project who contributed one-time sums

– Or premiums in the form of a subscription, annual or monthly. For a service (e.g. cleaning the streets from mud and dust) or ideas, invention, institutions, school, buildings, hospital and others. For everything he wanted to do and it required funds, he could find investors so that he would not have to spend his money.

– Raising money in his clubs and gatherings.

– Friends and acquaintances who did business with him, they also supported his ideas financially, and he paid back the same.

You don’t have to cooperate with everyone who is trying to do so.

Certainly a lot of people wanted to work with Franklin. He described in the book that he did not agree with all the proposals and that no one could persuade him to change his mind, but he could always provide good advice, which was usually very helpful. So if you do not want to work with someone, cooperate with someone, and someone wants to, you can always support him with good advice. Depending on the circumstances and situation. What he advised Gilbert, who collected donors for his project. Franklin refused his support and refused Gilbert’s plea, which violated Franklin’s rules, but gave him valuable advice on how to get investors.

Use other people’s resources.

The size and scale of your actions do not matter. You yourself may not have the tools, resources, or people to accomplish something great. However, if you are willing to pay the people for their services, those willing will support your ranks, provided that the conditions are favorable to them and that they suit you in their abilities.

Franklin, when he was on the job of capturing wagons and horses for the general. He used the horses and carts of the common people in exchange for promises to pay. And in the event of damage during the war, compensation.

The point is, you don’t need to have sufficient resources yourself. You can always use other people’s resources, depending on what you need, be it equipment for war or hands for work in the company.

Disputes, conflicts, battles and wars.

A wise man does not seek war. And all disputes and conflicts, which usually are its beginning, he tries to solve through communication and negotiations with the other party, in such a way that both parties are satisfied and satisfied with the solution found. By presenting facts, hard arguments, evidence of the rightness of the case for both parties. In order to do it skillfully, the skills of negotiating and talking to people are necessary, asking them, listening to what they have to say about a problem, dispute or conflict. The sage always starts with research, the right questions directed at the problem, listening to the other side of the conflict, he does not start with presenting his demands, this is what impetuous people who get carried away by negative emotions or people who do not want to talk, but are hungry for blood and war, they are filled with hostility. Not resolving a dispute or conflict is the first step to causing an ordinary fight between men whose dispute may be a trivial matter, or to starting a war.

Franklin was an observer.

He has visited a piece of the world. It can be concluded that he was closely watching everything that happened to him, what he did not know, and what interested him. An example would be watching officers and captains manage their ships, how each one does it differently. It sets sails differently, manages the cargo hatch and the crew differently. During one of his expeditions, he noticed the utility of lighthouses, when the ship on which he was traveling almost a haircut did not crash into the rocks above which there was a lighthouse on the hill.

The most important thing is that he wanted to introduce everything that he observed and thought useful to him in the place where he lived, where he lived, in his country. In other words, he wanted to introduce what was not in his country, but he saw it in other countries, and it seemed useful and necessary for people.

The article is a small part of my private notes and entries from the book ‚Benjamin Franklin – The Autobiography’.