You can see a wonderful video about Benjamin Franklin at earlyamerica.com.
Do you think Benjamin Franklin would be as successful if he lived in modern times? Do you know of anyone like him - someone with such diverse talents and interests? Is such a person valued today as much as in Franklin's time?
Sorry off the subject but you have to see this guy if you haven't already. Go check it out he's the worlds fastest portrait painter. This is the link to his website and video gallery. Yesterday I caught him on tv. He did Albert Einstein in two minutes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazingheroart.com/NewFiles/DemoChoicePage.html
First of all, Benjamin Franklin is an original, and there has never been anyone like him since his time. Would he be as successful today?, He'd be even more successful! That would be because he practiced principles that are timeless, like discipline, innovation (he was always looking at ways to make himself, and everything around him better), and he was a learner. He could learn anything and put it into practice. He would love our day with such easy access to information. In the 1700's he retired at the age of 42. What would he do in today's time?
ReplyDeleteI think today's time does not benefit someone with broad interests and abilities. The really successful people are the ones who can delve into one field and become experts in that area. Ben Franklin probably read everything worth reading in his day, but how could you possibly read about every scientific field now? How could you even hope to carry out a scientific experiment (without a degree) that would interest scientists around the globe? How could an intelligent person provide interesting reading for the masses? Doesn't the vast population pour over youtube garbage while ignoring anything with a complex sentence structure? 250 years ago people valued what Franklin valued - industry, principles, learning. Do people value that now? Would people care what he thought? Would they print his picture on money? Nah. I think today Ben Franklin might be successful in one area - whichever one he chose - but I don't think he could possibly make a mark in so many areas like he did long ago.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both anonymous and Bruce. Anonymous because his inventions have been made I mean like we live on electricity or how you can be a scuba diver for a living or even how the harmonica lost popularity. I agree with Bruce because a talent is a talent you could use it no mater where or what’s going on you can use it better and better. Also who cares that it's the future I mean the Bronze Age was once the future; there are always more great things to happen more inventions. So mainly I agree with Bruce.
ReplyDeletePeter the Great is another famous historical figure who had a wide variety of interests and incredible ability in many areas (even if that is not well-known on our side of the globe). However, I think Peter was more eccentric than Ben Franklin. I wonder how things would have been different if each had been born in the other's place.
ReplyDeleteIf he lived in modern times he wouldn't be on the hundred dollar bill because someone else would have beaten him to it. Who else do you think they would have put on the hundred dollar bill if Ben Franklin hadn't been born when he was? Any suggestions? Maybe Thomas Paine? James Madison? I read in the paper the other day that some people are suggesting Ronald Reagan be put on some denomination of currency.
ReplyDeleteAnd what if the South had won the Civil War (sometimes referred to as the War Between the States)? I'll bet Abraham Lincoln wouldn't have made it on the five dollar bill. Maybe Robert E. Lee or Jefferson Davis.
And while we are on the topic of Benjamin Franklin and the hundred dollar bill, did you know he is one of only two Americans featured on U.S. currency who is not a president of the United States. Hey Smeagul, do you know who the other one is?
I was just driving home and this same question popped into my mind. I admire Franklin alot, in fact, I read everything I can about him. However, I do not think he would be as successful in today's society.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that his success in publishing was due to the fact that he controlled the content (as the printer) and the distribution (as the Postmaster General). Today, the internet make it possible for anyone to publish and the barrier of entry is ridiculously low - even for print on demand books.
Secondly, although his broad talents are impressive, there were only 5 - 6 million people in the U.S. at that point in time. Today, there's more than 8 million people in the city of New York alone. So, in his time, the competition as it relates to his broad talents, was significantly less that what it is in today's society.
Consider this: In today's society MOST people have to have a college degree even to get a job that pays enough just to live on. In most cases it takes a Masters Degree or a degree in some specialized field to make the big money. And even some of those people can't even find jobs.
Also, at that time, currency (money) was based on tangible goods (think gold/silver) - not so today. We've created a society that allows you to literally make something from nothing. Multiply that over generations, and generations and you have a large disparity between the rich and the poor.
.....just my 2 cents.
- JK