Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin Rhetorical Analysis

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In a lifetime, there are things that people all strive to be good or perfect at: school, jobs, relationships, etc.…There is always something in lives that people wish to be better at, so people take certain measures to improve at life: study more, put in extra hours at the job, see a counselor, or practice harder. In “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin” by Benjamin Franklin, he sets out to devise a plan of self-examination, resulting in self-correction. Trying to achieve moral perfection, he creates a chart listing thirteen virtues and their precepts as a guideline for his self-examination. Though Franklin's intentions were of good gesture, the plan he devised was flawed due to basic human nature, lack of emotion, and different interpretations …show more content…
“The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin” teaches audience to think of the quest for perfection like a road trip. The destination may prove inapproachable, but the knowledge gained along the journey to perfection will make up for the unsatisfactory ending. Finally, according to franklin, success is the desire to reach for moral perfection, while acknowledging that it is unreachable, and thus, people must be content with whatever the outcomes. This relates to my personal view of success, which is …show more content…
I personally feel success is the reaching of a single goal: true, unquestionable happiness. This self-content and in turn, "successful life" can only be met by pursuing one's passions, maintaining healthy relationships, and above all, putting self-approval over the approval of others. Throughout my life, I have been asked what I want to be when I grow up, whether an engineer, a writer to a lawyer. As one may expect, my answer differed each time. It was not until this year, though, that I analyzed this question in terms of what I'd actually enjoy doing for the entirety of my adulthood. Through this perspective, I was able to come to the conclusion that if there's one thing I have as much skill as I have a love for, it's medicine and no matter the salary, there's nothing I'd rather be payed to do. Not only do I view this realization as a successful point in my life, but I intend to put in all the hard work necessary to pursue this passion and further fulfill my own definition of success. While success may be something you acquire as an individual, I also personally believe all those that play a role in your daily routine affect this accomplishment. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be the person I am today if I hadn't received the guidance, love, and support given to me by my parents. I owe any

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