The Way To Wealth

“Father Abraham stood up, and replied, ‘If you’d have my advice, I’ll give it you in short, for a word to the wise is enough, and many words won’t fill a bushel, as Poor Richard says.’”

Father Abraham quotes Poor Richard at length when the crowd waiting outside the merchant’s storefront asks him for his advice and outlook. Father Abraham, Franklin’s philosophizing alter-ego, pays Poor Richard the compliment that he complains he lacks at the start of the essay by quoting him so frequently. The aphorisms are typical of Poor Richard, who writes in a pithy manner that is easy to remember.

“We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly, and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement.” 

Father Abraham is adamant that the personal failings of individuals who are lazy, proud, and foolish are a much more difficult personal and financial burden to bear than any taxes levied by the government or monarchy. These character flaws are much more difficult burdens than taxes could ever be thanks to the fact that they are within individuals; no one else can relieve the hardship of such burdens but the individual himself.

“How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep!” 

Laziness, as evidenced by oversleeping, and idleness are particularly harmful to individuals attempting to have a satisfying life, according to Father Abraham. He advises his audience to sleep only as much as is needed as excessive rest can lead to laziness, and wealth is impossible for a lazy or idle person to achieve. Applying the concept of frugality even to one’s own consumption of rest is important.

“If you were a servant, would you not be ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? Are you then your own master, be ashamed to catch yourself idle, as Poor Richard says.”

Father Abraham again quotes the infinitely practical Poor Richard by comparing one’s own relationship to one’s self to the relationship between a master and servant. Father Abraham reminds his listeners that they have a responsibility to themselves to be productive with their time, just as a servant has a responsibility to his or her master.

“Leisure is a time for doing something useful.”

This notion of leisure is an interesting one as many people, both now and back then, may interpret leisure time as a carefree time, free of thoughts of usefulness. The thought of even leisure time as a time to be used well demonstrates the paramount importance of the value of industry to Benjamin Franklin.

“Trusting too much to others’ care is the ruin of many; for, as the almanac says, in the affairs of this world men are not saved by faith, but by the want of it.” 

In this passage, Father Abraham warns his listeners about the costs of depending on others; after all, self-reliance is the key to success because only one’s own self has one’s own best interests in mind. Father Abraham’s tone is pragmatic rather than suspicious or mistrustful; he acknowledges a simple fact of humanity in his observation, much like Poor Richard does when uttering his aphorisms.

“Away then with your expensive follies, and you will not have so much cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable families.”

Father Abraham warns his listeners to live within their means and to avoid incurring debt with unnecessary purchases. By living according to only what is accessible, his listeners will have less reason to complain, he goes on to explain, advocating for a simple and humble approach to spending. This recommendation is linked to the value Poor Richard places on frugality, a recurring theme in this essay and others that appear in different editions of Poor Richard’s Almanack.

“The artificial wants of mankind thus become more numerous than the natural; and as Poor Dick says, for one poor person, there are an hundred indigent.” 

Linked to Father Abraham’s advice for his listeners to spend only what they have is the notion of consumerism. For example, merchants often try to present luxury items, or “artificial wants,” as essential, or “natural,” in order to encourage spending. Father Abraham encourages the crowd to resist the temptation to buy needlessly, reminding them that poorer people in more difficult circumstances do exist and that they should be happy with their lot.

“And ’tis true folly for the poor to ape the rich, as for the frog to swell, in order to equal the ox.” 

Father Abraham points out that buyers often purchase certain goods in order to feel wealthier than they really are. This behavior is unreasonable and futile, so much so that he compares the actions to a frog whose size will never be as large as an ox no matter how much it tries to puff itself up. This example from the animal world enables Father Abraham to reduce his controversial argument down to something observable and therefore undeniable.

“Then since, as he says, the borrower is a slave to the lender, and the debtor to the creditor, disdain the chain, preserve your freedom; and maintain your independency; be industrious and free; be frugal and free.” 

The metaphorical chains in this passage suggest that debt is a prison, one that any reasonable individual will want to avoid if at all possible. Father Abraham states that avoiding this metaphorical prison is a straightforward process that anyone can accomplish by adhering to an easy life philosophy: live frugally and work hard in order to enjoy freedom.

“Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, expense is constant and certain.” 

The weightiness of Father Abraham’s advice becomes clear when he points out the harsh realities of living in a consumerist society. The need to spend will always exist, which means that saving money and avoiding debt is of paramount importance. He warns his listeners to be careful about the security a short-term windfall can provide; such lucky circumstances are not typical, so he suggests it is better to accept that they are unreliable.

“Remember Job suffered, and was afterwards prosperous.” 

Father Abraham offers hope to his listeners in this allusion to the Bible. Job, whose story appears in the Old Testament, is known for his extreme patience in the face of abject suffering. Father Abraham reminds the crowd that Job endured his lot in life and then experienced reward, and if Job could do it, they can do it too.

“The people heard it, and approved the doctrine, and immediately practiced the contrary, just as if it had been a common sermon.” 

At the end of Father Abraham’s speech, Poor Richard observes that the crowd reacted to his words much as a congregation reacts to a sermon: they ignore the recommendations preached to them and act in ways that are the opposite of what has been advised. This observation is intended to be humorous, as it pokes fun at the tendency of humans to ignore advice, no matter how useful it may be or how well-respected the source.