Benjamin Franklin's Influence On America

Benjamin Franklin’s advice on how to get rich in America is based on simple yet accurate ideas that are still relevant today. He promotes working diligently, saving money, and living plainly. All of this information is practical, simple and very easy to follow.
Franklin strongly believes in tough hard work. He emphasizes that we must not be lazy and work hard to fight-off hunger and poverty. Those who work hard are often promoted and appreciated for their diligence. One can see the difference in workers that are diligent and those that are doing simply the minimums. People feel like they must own “wants” even though they are not willing to put in the work. Franklin’s principles are based on living within one’s means and saving for a rainy day. He does not think very highly of the lazy man and the man that buys unnecessary things. He promotes living within your means and working hard to buy the things needed. Planning is also an important
step towards success. He believed that one needs to prepare and gather all the information available in order to achieve one’s goals. This includes the notion that one should work and not waste time through procrastination, and very importantly, save.
These are not crazy new ideas that should resonate well with people these days, given the recent economy.
Especially given how much debit our country has and how the recent mortgage scandal affected everyone. Those who work hard are not always appreciated and promoted. In so many cases success is based on who you know, not what you did that got you up the corporate ladder. Franklin would have been upset with the way our society is today. The current American way distorts our views of entitlement. Unfortunately, many of us believe we are entitled to have a home, car, family, and many other things. These things have to be worked for and that is not something people want to hear these days. We feel that if we go above and beyond then we should receive a bonus for our work. Some people do not want to work; it's that they don't understand or know how to actually work. If they make the effort, they are to be rewarded; that's their idea of work. It's never about whether or not they have truly accomplished something; just the
effort.
Franklin’s principles are simple, seemingly common sense ideas. From them one can absorb that a little caution yesterday could have prevented the pain we are experiencing today. We must not waste time and anything that can be done today should be completed now instead of tomorrow. Those who are lazy and doing the minimums do not last long. Living within one’s financial means is worth more than seeking to obtain false status. Furthermore, he is expressing that one should practice gratitude and essentially the perception that gratitude will bring an individual a long way in success.