Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin remains my favorite founding father.

… God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty…. And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.

Benjamin Franklin

We all know my love of Benjamin Franklin— which means I am completely biased.

Let’s face it… he’s one of the founders of our country (assuming you’re in the United States). His quotes from hundreds of years ago still carry relevance in our daily lives. From electricity to mail, freedom to libraries, this man probably touches your life on a daily basis.

That being said, today’s lesson of greatness revolves around The Benjamin Franklin Effect. Don’t worry, we’ll cover the what, why, and how… starting right now.

What is the Ben Franklin Effect?

He that has once done you a Kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged

The effect, nothing more than a physiological phenomena really, simply holds that we like people more for whom we do favors. Conversely, if you harm someone, you’re more likely to harm them again (or care less about them).

Wait… what?

Simply put… if you do someone a favor, you will most likely think better of that person. It gets even better… if someone does a favor for you, they are more likely to do another favor for you than if you had done a favor for them.

There’s been studies on it… and yes, people can talk more about cognitive dissonance at their own will. Be as it may, the truth remains that the Ben Franklin effect is very real, and very powerful.

Why Ben Franklin?

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin mentions a story of a “rival” in the legislature that started to impact his life. Ol’ Ben needed to deal with the rival and rather than going to the mattresses he asked him for a favor.

Ben’s love of books was well known, and his rival had a very rare book in his personal library. Ben sent him a respectful note asking to borrow the book for a few days. After a week, Mr. Franklin returned the book along with a personal note expressing “strongly” his gratitude for the favor.

The effect was immediate. The next time the two happened to be in the same location the rival came to Ben Franklin and spoke to him— something that he had never done previously. The rival became someone always willing to lend a hand and the two ended up developing a good friendship.

How does this Ben Franklin effect affect me?

Got a problem with someone? Ask them for a favor. Don’t return it immediately… and be respectful and appreciative of the favor.

Did someone ask you for a favor? Be cognizant that your opinion of them may improve.

Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.

Benjamin Franklin

I’ve always liked Mr. Franklin. Some think he’s the only non-president on money… but those people probably think Mr. Hamilton was once a president. Anyway, Benjamin Franklin is perhaps my favorite American in history. I love his quotes and many of his thoughts can guide us still today.

Today’s the following Benjamin Franklin quote comes to mind:

It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.

Which brings us to…

Ann Arbor Parking

Ok, although I’ve lived in Florida for the past 20 years (and love it), my family is traditionally northern in attitude and heritage. Often my love of Florida is mocked with southern jokes and generalizations. And if Florida somehow makes the news, my phone won’t stop ringing. I still get ribbed over Elian Gonzalez, the 2000 election, Terry Schiavo, and more.

But what does Florida have to do with Ann Arbor Parking? Two words: Sunshine Law. The Sunshine Law provides public access to government (no closed doors, let in the “Sunshine”) and Florida takes this very seriously. Besides criminal and civil penalties for violating the Sunshine Law, it has become such a part of Floridan culture that it’s hard to imagine not getting easy access to public information. After all, this is why the news loves Florida. If something happens in the Sunshine State, it happens in the Sunshine.

Enter the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. This publicly funded group receives their budget from taxes and parking fees. Oh, they also think I’m a security concern.

Yes, even though I have a very clean background (just ask the FBI), the A2DDA thinks I pose a security risk and have blocked my access to their website.

When I look at the list of things that my mom can be proud of, I think:

• Court expert on DUI and Marijuana
• Firearm “incident” in Gainesville
• and now, Security Risk to the Ann Arbor DDA

Thank you DDA for your hard work, and for bringing to mind this other Benjamin Franklin quote:

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid”

Which brings us to… (if you want to see more details on Fred vs. the DDA, click here)

Motorcycles

The weather in Ann Arbor warmed up enough to remove the ice and snow from the roads. And it’s been so long since I’ve seen a salt truck that Yeni and I decided to go for a quick ride on Saturday.

It was the first time I was able to ride since December and it took all the stress right from my face, replacing it with a smile.