Perennial Wisdom Ben Franklin's Guide to a Long and Useful Life with Eric Weiner
Jun 12, 2024
Author Eric Weiner discusses Ben Franklin's guide to virtue, the importance of intellectual humility, the philosophy of gratitude, and practical ways to become wiser in daily life. The episode highlights Franklin's impact and legacy of gratitude and usefulness, along with insights on adapting books for TV series and applying wisdom in daily decision-making.
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Make Knowledge Useful
- Favor 'useful knowledge' that you can apply to help others rather than abstract knowledge alone.
- Ask each morning 'what good may I do today?' and each night 'what good have I done today?'
Truth Is What Works
- Franklin's pragmatism equated truth with what works and what improves life.
- He prioritized applied results over abstract debates when judging ideas.
Be Useful To Others
- Aim outward: make usefulness a social practice rather than mere self-focused happiness.
- Design systems (like libraries or matching grants) that scale usefulness beyond one-off acts.