“The only way to win an argument is to avoid it.” Dale Carnegie’s famous remark was preceded by Benjamin Franklin’s own formulation of this axiom, which he describes in his Autobiography as the “habit of modest diffidence.” Franklin explains that this practice banishes the categorical from his vocabulary, ascribing to this habit much of… Read more »
Name: John Leighton Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Sponsoring Organization: Brooklyn Public Library (with generous assistance from 92Y!) Circle Start Date: January 2017   What do you do when you’re not running a Ben Franklin Circle? I’m a librarian, a job I love. In my spare time, I write and like to participate in religious… Read more »
“Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.” Didn’t we already cover this idea with temperance? That was my first thought as I prepared to lead our Circle on the topic of moderation. I read it again. Resentment? Injuries? That sounded pretty different from “Eat not to dullness and drink… Read more »
Like millions of other people around the world, I woke up recently to a flood of photographs and highlights from the hugely anticipated royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But unlike most of those people, I found myself disappointed.   I was not one of the many young women who counted down the… Read more »
Name: Steven Smith Sponsoring Organization: United Citizen Power Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida Circle Start Date: March 3, 2018 What attracted you to Ben Franklin Circles? In the Jacksonville community, I am the past president of the D.W. Perkins Bar Association, a civil rights organization which consists of Jacksonville’s Black lawyers and judges. I met… Read more »
On a beautiful spring day I walked down the brick streets of Old City Philadelphia in search of Ben Franklin. It’s not hard to find him as this is his home town, but I was seeking a more intimate, well-rounded portrait of the man. I was headed for the Benjamin Franklin Museum, part of the… Read more »