I just finished reading the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, and one immediate takeaway from understanding how he operated through his own words is that he was an original thinker. Until recently, I would’ve semantically called him a “progressive”, but semantics matter here. This was a period when books were rare and science still couldn’t answer a whole lot, but he based a lot of his life philosophy on pragmatism, (social and scientific) experimentation and self-improvement. Even with all the technological advances today, it’s rare to find such individuals.

I’ve not read the Isaacson biography or other sources, so I’m not endorsing him as a saint. But a lot of his written word, which we wrote down for the benefit of his descendants, holds up just fine in today’s world. If you follow the gist of his philosophy, you’re bound to end up as someone modestly well off and well respected. Definitely worth a quick read!