Aphorism And Poor Richards's Almanack

“Tis easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.” It is almost guaranteed that many may have heard this saying before coming from their parents, but perhaps they didn’t know exactly where it came from. This quote is actually an aphorism (short sayings with a message) written by Benjamin Franklin to include in his Poor Richards’s Almanack. This aphorism holds the same truth to him. When Franklin was young, he decided to create a plan for self-improvement. He then made a list of thirteen virtues to follow and perfect which would lead to his self-improvement. He then came to discover that some virtues were easy to conquer because he was able to control his tongue and prevent bad habits, while other virtues were much more difficult to conquer
He was able to see this visually because of the little chart he concocted. “I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues. I ruled each page with red ink, so as to have seven columns, one for each day of the week, marking each column with a letter for the day. I crossed these columns with thirteen red lines, marking the beginning of each line with the first letter of one of the virtues, on which every line and in its proper column I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day”(Franklin). Eventually Franklin had to transfer his chart on ivory leaves where he could write his marks in pencil and then erase them so he could have enough room. By doing this project, Benjamin was able to realize just how imperfect he really was, but he also was able to obtain satisfaction by slowly seeing his number of marks
Even though he was so ambitious in his project, he failed miserably. But it was by the endeavor that made him a happier person. He was much happier than what he would have been if he didn’t even try at all. This goes to show how important the effort of trying is in life, even if failure is inevitable. Just because it didn’t turn out exactly how it was supposed to in the end, happiness can be gained just from the attempt that was made to try to achieve that goal. Never let failure stand in the way of happiness. Look on the bright side of what was accomplished, just like Benjamin Franklin once did. “It may be well my posterity should be informed that to this little artifice, with the blessing of God, their ancestor owed the constant felicity of his life, down to his seventy-ninth year in which this is written”