The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers

by Ryan Hawk

In the fall of 1727, 21-year-old Benjamin Franklin and a group of friends founded the Junto.15 The purpose of the 12-member club of tradesmen and artisans was mutual improvement. Members of the Junto were avid readers and intellectuals who met to discuss questions of the day and to exchange knowledge of business affairs. In his autobiography, Franklin spelled out what being a member of the Junto required and delivered: 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 discussed 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.