How to Have the Epitaph of a Famous Man
Have you ever noticed that there are times in life when a whole rash of famous people die in a short time span? People bemoan the loss in public posts or statements, recalling the great exploits of these individuals, be they actors, musicians, or other types of public figures.
Despite their fame, the remembrance of such individuals often fades within a few days, and we all go back to our normal lives, perhaps even scratching our heads in perplexity several years later when the name of the famous dead one resurfaces. In essence, life is fleeting and even the most famous among us are forgettable.
That’s not always the case, however. Take the life of Benjamin Franklin. I recently came across a brief biographical paragraph about him in a book of remembrances written by his fellow American founder Benjamin Rush. True, Franklin was a man who held a prominent position in a history-changing event, but in reading Rush’s memorial of him, I realized that Franklin did several key things in life that would improve our own epitaphs greatly were we to follow his example.
1. Didn’t run his mouth
Rush describes Franklin as someone who “seldom spoke in Congress” or in the French Court to which he was eventually elected emissary, but when he spoke, his words contained such wisdom that they “[flew] by the next post to every part of the kingdom.”
Today, social media makes it feasible for every Tom, Dick, and Harry of us to spew our thoughts instantaneously, often to our regret and downfall later. In fact, those who don’t speak or show solidarity with some trending cause are often ostracized and called out for their silence. But Franklin’s example shows the truth of the biblical Proverb, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
2. Worked his tail off
What Franklin didn’t say he made up for in endeavor. Rush speaks of him as someone who “was useful in committees in which he was punctual and indefatigable.” In other words, he was willing to do the hard, behind-the-scenes work of which no one took much notice. Given the complaints about the current workforce, those of us who show up on time, persevere until the work is done, and act as a team player, will stand out just as much as Franklin did in his time.
3. Didn’t hold his finger to the wind
Franklin, Rush explains, “early declared himself in favor of independence.” This signals that he was a man of convictions, knew what he believed, and was unafraid to stand for it publicly, even if it cost him everything. That type of individual may not be popular in the short term – in fact, will likely endure great ridicule and testing by his peers – but in the long term the individual who is not easily swayed by popular opinion will receive far greater respect than the one always determined to fit his opinions to the whims of culture.
4. Thinking deep thoughts
Perhaps the reason Franklin didn’t hold his finger to the wind was because he thought things through carefully and tried to determine the consequences of a decision and the true meaning of life. “John Adams used to say that he was more of a philosopher than a politician,” Rush writes of Franklin. Essentially, Franklin took the time to study, to draw on the thoughts of those who had gone before, and to weigh the evidence of these arguments when forming his own opinions. We, too, would be well advised to take on this multitude of counselors, going beyond the headlines to ponder the past in order to successfully navigate the present.
Would that we would do the same, not pushing ourselves to a place of prominence by whatever means possible, but by humbly giving of ourselves to advance the wellbeing of others.
Yes, celebrities will continue flashing like firecrackers on a July 4th evening, flaring up, making a big noise, then fading rapidly, leaving a trail of smoke that quickly vanishes. The rest of us average folks may not even contribute that flash-bang experience to life on this earth, yet the epitaph we leave behind can be far more lasting than that of the hottest actress or the most prominent politician. Franklin’s memorial tells us how to start on that quest.
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The republication of this article is made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal.
Image Credit: Freerange Stock
Thanks for sharing those reflections on Mr. Franklin with us, Annie. I certainly agree that most human beings, no matter how great or unique, are soon forgotten in the rush of events we call history. There are, however, exceptions that come along every now and then and Ben was definitely one of them. He was truly a man for all seasons, an original thinker and a philosopher of the first water (among many other things), and we as a nation were most fortunate to have him help fomulate 'and co-found The Great Amerian Experiment' called the United States of America. It's a great tragedy, therefore, that our democratic Federation has morphed into a somewhat sinister and pernicious vehicle for immoral and (frequently) unethical, exploitative commercial capitalism (known by most of the world as 'The American Model), that now serves as the chief social guidance infrastructure for corporate ambition and unbridled greed to flourish within. It's also tragic that men of Franklin's superior calibre are these days far and few between.
While America's democracy is a noble and singular aspirational exemplar of the concept of rule by and of the people, obscene wealth, that overwhelming driving economic factor in American life, has corrupted our formerly great nation irrepairably and irredeemably (in my opinion). As our ethical and moral purity diminishes more with each passing day, it is clear to me that the United States will indeed be fortunate if it lasts another several hundred years or so. After all, no 'democracy' that ever existed since ancient Greek times has survived more than several hundred years at most. Why should we feel ours is exceptional, special or exempt from the same corrosive dynamics that brought all others to eventual ruin? I am reminded of H.L. Mencken's famous observation that "Democracy is running the circus from the monkey house." I wish it were otherwise but in that specific context we'd need an exponential number of men (and women) equal to Mr. Franklin in our particular monkey house, were our destiny turn ou to be otherwise...