Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1045IR // #c1045Synthesis

"like him who, having a garden to weed, does not attempt to eradicate all the bad herbs at once, which would exceed his reach and his strength, but works on one of the beds at a time"

— In our words · Source: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (Benjamin Franklin)

[Use when]

You are trying to fix everything at once and none of it is sticking.

[Why it matters]

He gave each virtue a week of strict attention and kept the earlier lines clear while adding the next. Thirteen virtues made "a course compleat in thirteen weeks, and four courses in a year."

More from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

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