Benjamin Franklin

A publisher. A writer. An inventor. A statesman. A founding father of the United States of America.

These words describe but only a part of one of the most illustrious American lives. Benjamin Franklin was indeed a man like no one during his times, perhaps that one person who defined the character of an entire nation.

Above everything he achieved in his life, Benjamin Franklin's life was ultimately a proof that the best life is the one that is self-made. He was born to crowded room full of competing siblings to a father who had picked up the trade of candle making. With many mouths to feed, food was never abundant but he learnt early on that industry and frugality are the antidotes for poverty.

Benjamin Franklin did not have much formal education: his father could afford a total of two full years of schooling for the young Franklin. But among his peers, he grew up to be one of the best minds America ever produced. From learning to speak multiple languages to mastering the human nature to conquering methods for uncovering scientific secrets, Benjamin Franklin learnt everything through, mostly, his love for books. In an era where books were rare and expensive, Benjamin was the biggest proponent of reading because his life exemplified the power of reading books.

But is Benjamin Franklin even relevant to us, two and a half centuries after his death? The answer is a resounding Yes!

Benjamin Franklin is not just a national hero. He was a man trying every day to become a better person for its own sake as well as for the service of his craft and his community that became a new nation. The mindset and the methods he used for his and his community's betterment is well-documented. And this is what makes him a historical figure whose life can still shine light on our lives.