“I should have no objection to go over the same life from its beginning to the end: requesting only the advantage authors have, of correcting in a second edition the faults of the first.”
- January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790
- American
- Polymath, Founding Father of the United States, Inventor, Diplomat, Writer
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Quote
“I should have no objection to go over the same life from its beginning to the end: requesting only the advantage authors have, of correcting in a second edition the faults of the first.”
Explanation
In this reflective quote, Benjamin Franklin expresses a thoughtful and modest view of his life, stating that he would gladly live it again—not to seek a different path, but to improve upon his mistakes. By comparing his life to a book with multiple editions, he employs a literary metaphor familiar to him as a printer and writer. The “second edition” symbolizes the opportunity for self-correction, growth, and refinement that hindsight offers.
Franklin was deeply committed to self-improvement, famously developing a personal system for cultivating virtues and tracking his moral progress. This quote captures both his satisfaction with a life well lived and his belief in the human capacity to learn from error. It also reflects Enlightenment ideals of rational self-assessment and continuous betterment, central themes in Franklin’s autobiography and public philosophy.
For modern readers, Franklin’s sentiment resonates as a call to embrace reflection without regret. Rather than wishing for an entirely different life, he suggests that the key lies in acknowledging and learning from our faults, much like an author edits a flawed draft. It is a reminder that wisdom often comes not from getting everything right, but from striving to do better the next time—and valuing the journey itself.
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