Two thoughts from Benjamin Franklin

I received part 65 of 75 today of the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin via DailyLit. I am nearing the end! (If you want to sign up, go here.)

Today's section had two interesting thoughts:

"This gave me occasion to observe, that, when men are employ'd, they are best content'd; for on the days they worked they were good-natur'd and cheerful, and, with the consciousness of having done a good day's work, they spent the evening jollily; but on our idle days they were mutinous and quarrelsome, finding fault with their pork, the bread, etc., and in continual ill-humor, which put me in mind of a sea-captain, whose rule it was to keep his men constantly at work; and, when his mate once told him that they had done every thing, and there was nothing further to employ them about, 'Oh,' says he, 'Make them scour the anchor.'"

Many in our society seem to see work as a means to an end, with the end being play. Play has its place, but we should not waste our lives playing. Currently our daughters love to play and only see work as a chore. Hopefully some day they'll come to that making the effor to improve the world is an important activity.


I also thought this was interesting:

"We had for our chaplain a zealous Presbyterian minister, Mr. Beatty, who complained to me that the men did not generally attend his prayers and exhortations. When they enlisted, they were promised, besides pay and provisions, a gill of rum a day, which was punctually serv'd out to them, half in the morning, and the other half in the evening; and I observ'd they were as punctual in attending to receive it; upon which I said to Mr. Beatty, 'It is, perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but if you were to deal it out and only just after prayers, you would have them all about you.' He liked the tho't, undertook the office, and, with the help of a few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to satisfaction, and never were prayers more generally and more punctually attended; so that I thought this method preferable to the punishment inflicted by some military laws for non-attendance on divine service."

This reminds me of the saying that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.


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