Create an Intellectual Club
I had form'd most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which we called the JUNTO; we met on Friday evenings. The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss'd by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased. Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute, or desire of victory; and, to prevent warmth, all expressions of positiveness in opinions, or direct contradiction, were after some time made contraband, and prohibited under small pecuniary penalties...upward of forty years; and the club continued almost as long, and was the best school of philosophy, morality, and politics that then existed in the province.
Wow. This just shows Franklin's commitment to self-improvement. The members of his group nearly all rose to political prominence in Philadelphia, and all were no doubt better men because of this process. And it is such a simple concept, isn't it?
