Benjamin
Franklin, scientist, inventor and a principal architect of the United States
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, may have been the first self-improvement
expert, too. In 1726, a young 20-year-old Franklin was crossing the Atlantic from
England back to Philadelphia. During his 80-day journey, Benjamin Franklin used
the time to develop a personal plan of conduct. His plan consisted of 13
virtues listed below. Franklin committed to focusing on one virtue per week. At
the end of the 13th week, he would start the process over again; thus, cycling
through the plan four times a year. Ben Franklin followed this plan until his
death at age 79. He found comfort and happiness in each of the virtues and used
these to guide his entire life.
●
Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
●
Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling
conversation.
●
Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business
have its time.
●
Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
●
Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste
nothing.
●
Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all
unnecessary actions.
●
Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak,
speak accordingly.
●
Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your
duty.
●
Moderation. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they
deserve.
●
Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
●
Tranquillity. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
●
Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness,
weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
●
Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Franklin’s Commentary
"It may be well my posterity
should be informed that to this little artifice, with the blessing of God,
their ancestor ow'd the constant felicity of his life, down to his 79th year,
in which this is written. What reverses may attend the remainder is in the hand
of Providence; but, if they arrive, the reflection on past happiness enjoy'd
ought to help his bearing them with more resignation.
●
To Temperance
he ascribes his long-continued health, and what is still left to him of a good
constitution;
●
To Industry
and Frugality, the early easiness of
his circumstances and acquisition of his fortune, with all that knowledge that
enabled him to be a useful citizen, and obtained for him some degree of
reputation among the learned;
●
To Sincerity
and Justice, the confidence of his
country, and the honorable employs it conferred upon him;
●
To the joint influence of the whole mass of the virtues, even in the
imperfect state he was able to acquire them, all that evenness of temper, and
that cheerfulness in conversation, which makes his company still sought for,
and agreeable even to his younger acquaintance. I hope, therefore, that some of
my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.
"In this piece it was my
design to have endeavored to convince young persons that no qualities were so
likely to make a poor man's fortune as those of probity and integrity.
"My list of virtues
contain'd at first but twelve; but a Quaker friend having kindly informed me
that I was generally thought proud; that my pride show'd itself frequently in
conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing
any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent, of which he convinc'd me
by mentioning several instances; I determined endeavouring to cure myself, if I
could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list.
"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
compleatly overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility."
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