Benjamin Franklin was a pretty amazing guy. The quintessential Renaissance Man, he was a scientist, inventor, author, musician, scholar, business man and politician. There are many popular stories and quotes from Franklin’s life, but one in particular demonstrates his astute understanding of human behavior. In fact, this story became so well-known that it eventually led to what  is now a well-known psychological phenomenon, aptly called, The Benjamin Franklin Effect.

The Story:  Franklin first entered politics when he ran for and won election to the position of clerk of the state’s general assembly. During his first term, like all politicians, Franklin made both a lot of friends as well as a few enemies. At the end of his term, one of those adversaries threatened Franklin’s political career when he stood before the state legislature and delivered a long and scathing speech in opposition to Franklin’s reelection. Although Franklin still won the election, he realized that the gentleman in question, as someone of…