"Well done is better than well said" is a popular axiom you may have heard before. Can you guess who came up with it? (Hint: He appears in the image featured in this post.) Well, it is attributed to none other than Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). To say this Founding Father of the United States had an impressive is an understatement. He was a printer, author, political theorist, postmaster, diplomat, inventor, scientist, humorist, civic activist, statesman, among other things. Essentially, what Franklin is saying that, while words are nice, one's actions ultimately carry far more meaning. Put simply, actions speak louder than words. And we all know from experience that while many people can talk the talk, not everyone can walk the walk. Maybe you were once in a relationship with someone who claimed he cared about you, but never invested the time and energy you did. Or perhaps you had a friend who never seemed to be there when you needed her most, even tho...

Conventional wisdom holds that if you do someone a favor, that person is bound to like you more. However, research has revealed something entirely different: If you do someone a favor, it is you who will like that person more as a result.  But how can this be? The reason is that we justify our actions to ourselves by assuming that we did the person the favor because, well, we really like them. This phenomenon is called the Ben Franklin effect . Franklin once quipped, "He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged." Legend has it that Franklin, a Founding Father and renowned scientist, leveraged this discovery to win the favor of a rival Pennsylvania legislator by asking the legislator to lend him a rare book and then showering him with gratitude. It worked like a charm. According to Franklin,"When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civ...

On this day in 1784, the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The document, negotiated in part by future President John Adams, included terms for ending the Revolutionary War and established the United States as a sovereign nation. The treaty set territorial boundaries in North America formerly held by the British, outlined America’s fishing rights off the coast of Canada, and put an end to reprisals against British loyalists. Two other future presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, were among the delegates who ratified the document on January 14, 1874. Thomas Jefferson had planned to travel to Paris to join Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay to begin talks with the British in 1782. However, after a delay in his travel plans, Jefferson got word that a cessation of hostilities had been announced by King George III the prior December. Jefferson arrived in Paris in late February after the treaty had already been negot...

The word of the day is none other than polymath , which sounds like something right out of an algebra book.  I first came across this world earlier this year while watching a YouTube video that described Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, as a polymath.  So what does polymath mean, you ask? The fact that it contains "poly" means you can at least infer that it has to do with  many  of something.  Per Wikipedia, it's a person whose expertise spans a wide range of subject areas. Dictionary.com defines polymath as a person of encyclopedic learning. The term is often linked to great thinkers of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment who excelled at various fields in science and the arts. Aside from Jefferson, other famous polymaths include: Galileo Leonardo da Vinci Aristotle Copernicus Benjamin Franklin Isaac Newton I probably won't be a polymath in this lifetime, but it's because I strive to be highly knowled...

In life, you must always remember to focus on the right people . Whom do I refer to when I say "the right people"? Those who inspire you , of course. Whether it's a parent who raised you all by herself, a teacher who taught you a valuable lesson or two, or an important figure in history whose contributions have resonated deeply with you, these are the kinds of individuals who deserve a permanent place in our thoughts. On the other hand, we must resist the urge to ruminate on people who engender in us a sense of negativity that's hard to shake off -- the ones who bring us down the very second we think of them. That may include an obnoxious boss, a jaded ex who can't take no for an answer, or a friend who only reaches out to you when she needs you. Your mind is cluttered enough as it is. Why waste whatever mental real estate you have available on people who simply aren't worthy of your thoughts? They sure as hell aren't thinking of you, so why shou...

When most people think of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), they think of a bespectacled, older-looking Founding Father of the United States who also happened to dream up some pretty neat inventions.  I find him to be the most fascinating of the Founding Fathers, alongside Thomas Jefferson. Not only were these guys masters in the art of politics, they each went on to design everything from buildings to stoves. In essence, it could be argued they statesmen as much as they were inventors.  In this post, I'd like to share five interesting facts about Franklin that I recently dug up. If you already knew these or would like to share any others not mentioned here, please feel free to do so in the comments section.  1. Franklin designed a musical instrument used by musical geniuses Mozart and Beethoven. Franklin designed what he dubbed a “glass armonica,” an instrument meant to replicate the distinct sound that a wet finger makes when rubbed along the rim of a glass. ...

Today's quote comes from Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), whose impressive resume includes everything from Founding Father of the United States and printer to author, scientist, and diplomat. "Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning." - Benjamin Franklin This one is a lot easier to decipher than prior quotes I've featured on the blog. Perhaps Franklin's quote predated a similar one we've come to know quite well: "Actions speak louder than words." I couldn't agree more with Franklin, and he would know this better than most as he himself worked in the political arena. We all have stories of encountering politicians or salesmen great at schmoozing with the public but once you try to dig deeper you're hard-pressed to find anything profound. They talk the talk but don't walk the walk. They fail to back up their words with concrete steps toward achieving whatever it is they've promised. Very rarely do I ever take someon...

Today's quote comes from Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), whose work runs the gamut from Founding Father of the United States to accomplished author, printer, inventor, statesman, and diplomat. "Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning." - Benjamin Franklin I feel that this is an 18th century variant of an oft-repeated quote we've come to know quite well: "actions speak louder than words." I think this quote is especially timely in this politically-charged time we live in. Presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle -- like Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Ben Carson -- are promising to effect sweeping changes should they come out the victor. It remains to be seen, however, whether they truly live up to their words. The American people are cognizant of the fact that politicians will say anything to procure votes, and that paying lip service is just part of the game. But the quote's relevance extends beyond the world of politi...

To all you readers here in the United States -- here's to a Happy Independence Day! Today we come together and commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies declared themselves an independent nation, severing ties with an overbearing British Empire. Even if you're not a history buff like me, there are certain things we learned in history class that remain embedded in our minds, including: The heroism of George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory against long odds. After all, he was up against the mightiest military force in the world. The Declaration of Independence, which was written by Thomas Jefferson and included a series of grievances against King George III. And who could forget John Hancock's oversized signature? Founding Fathers like Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Sam Adams, and Hancock, all of whom contributed to the Revolutionary cause in a big way It's easy t...

If you had the opportunity to meet anyone -- dead or alive, past or present -- who would that person be? I would probably pick a historic figure like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, or Abraham Lincoln. I think it would be fascinating to ask the individual what it was like to live in his day, through events that forever changed the course of history, such as The American Revolution and Civil War. Even better would be the ability to go back in time to Colonial America or the mid-19th century (Back to the Future, anyone?) and spend a day walking the streets and chatting with people from those eras. But that's just my my nerdy pick. I eat, sleep, and drink history, so there's no way I'd pass up the opportunity to meet a Founding Father or Honest Abe himself, for example. At least there's always a slim possibility you could still meet a living person. What's your pick? Who would you opt to meet? For prior entries, please click here:  How...

I am pleased to share with you the first of many Quotes of the Day. This is just one of several new features I will be integrating into the blog in the new year. Without further ado, the first Quote of the Day comes from Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), who, aside from being one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was a respected writer, printer, inventor, scientist, statesman, and diplomat. "If you desire many things, many things will seem few." - Benjamin Franklin I love the meaning behind this well-known quote by the revered Franklin. I take it to mean that the more you yearn for material things, the less you'll be satisfied by them. You'll want something, grow bored of it, and angle for the next thing that grabs your interest. Rinse and repeat -- it's a vicious cycle that never ends. Unfortunately, we know far too many people that become locked in the tight grip of consumerism. Many factors are to blame, including advertisements and promotions ...