Rationalization, Values, and Pride

In reading Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, these three quotes really stood out to me:
"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for every thing one has in mind to do" (Franklin 27).
    Part of the idea of "American freedom" is that people can do anything they want (within the law) and even if it is unreasonable to some people, they can rationalize it as much as they want to make it seem reasonable.  This has allowed a lot of inventions and discoveries to be made -- people made fun of the Wilbur brothers for trying to fly -- they said it would be impossible.  Yet they kept on trying and here we are today with airplanes (an idea that started with the Wilbur brothers).  America gives citizens the opportunity to rationalize any idea or action into one that makes sense or is useful.

"I grew convinc'd that truth, sincerity, and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life;...but I entertain'd an opinion that, though certain actions might not be bad because they were forbidden by it, or good because it commanded them, yet probably those actions might be forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us, in their own natures, all the circumstances of things considered" (Franklin 43-44).
    This pertains to the American democracy--things that are forbidden to us are our laws. Things that are beneficial to us, such as voting and working for pay, are allowed to us.  Some people may think that it is wrong to limit everyone by having laws.  I think Franklin's words "...truth, sincerity, and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance..." really hold true to how our society needs to be run.  If our government can stick to the three values of truth, sincerity, and integrity, our nation can keep developing into a better one.

"In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride.  Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility" (Franklin 72).
     Part of the American Dream is working hard and wanting to prove oneself to others.  People want to prove that they are worth your time and money.  Once one attains this the they are entitled to pride.  Pride is what our country runs on -- pride of being American, the pride of big business owners for being successful, etc.  Pride is also what helps keep the competitive market flowing -- if businesses did not care about being the best and having that pride, there would be no competitive market.  But they do care, so we have this system of perfect competition and monopolistic competition that works to the advantages of our businesses.