Benjamin Franklin and the Virtuous Road to Success

Benjamin Franklin and the Virtuous Road to Success
The committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. (L-R) Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R Livingston, and John Adams. MPI/Getty Images
Ryan Moffatt
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With rates of depression and anxiety steadily increasing in the COVID-19 era, self-help is big business.

Internet gurus promise peace of mind, financial freedom, and happiness if we just click the link, take the course, or watch a video. Most are scams, some have merit, but all come with a catch—mostly financial. A distressed population may be quite willing to fork over hard-earned cash for a quick fix to inner turmoil and existential crises.