Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1058IR // #c1058Synthesis

"a Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride show'd itself frequently in conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent, of which he convinc'd me by mentioning several instances"

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

[Use when]

Someone you trust names a fault of yours and backs it with specific instances.

[Why it matters]

His list had twelve virtues. The friend's examples, not a principle, added the thirteenth. Franklin admits he got the appearance of humility more than the reality.

More from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

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