vinced. The young Ben Franklin in his youthful disregard would have left it at that. But the older Ben said,I determined endeavouring to cure myself if I could of this Vice or Folly, and I added humility among the rest of my list, giving an extensive meaning to the word (page 384). This was the first step Ben needed to take to show people the sincerity of his humility. The final step is taken in the last paragraph. He writes about pride. Pride is the passion that is subdued by humility. Ben says regarding pride, disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and every now and then it will peep out and show itself. Even the most humble man has instances where his pride will show itself. Those are not the times to judge him, those are the times to teach him. Only the man who has truly acquired the reality of humility will learn.This autobiography has been read by many and can be interpreted in many different ways. The point of view here is that humility is gained through experience, knowledge, and the learning of mistakes. As Ben grows up we see him mature into an intelligent young man who is trying his best to cope with his situation. At times it may seem like he possessed no humility. But we must remember that he was very young when he was encountering these compromising situations. Sometimes he dealt with the situations like an adult, thinking the situation through, other times ignorantly like a child. It is evident that as he was getting older and Ben was acquiring the appearance of the virtue of humility throughout and acquired the reality of it in his elder years....
