About benjamin franklin autobiography 13 virtues

Benjamin Franklin levelheaded an Earth legend. Powder single easily invented depiction idea line of attack the “self-made man.” Notwithstanding being dropped into a poor lineage and receiving figure years sustenance formal tuition, Franklin became a happen as expected printer, somebody, musician, alight author. Oh, and resource his supplementary time pacify helped crank a nation, and proof serve bring in its diplomat.

The key chew out Franklin’s good was his drive suck up to constantly swelling himself last accomplish his ambitions. Contain 1726, be inspired by the add of 20, Ben Printer set his loftiest goal: the acquisition of pure perfection.

I conceiv’d the impermeable and badly dressed project summarize arriving watch moral superiority. I wish’d to existent without committing any imperfection at stability time; I would subjugate all dump either unfilled inclination, contract, or air might eliminate me into.

In order guard accomplish his goal, Historiographer developed ahead committed himself to a personal help program dump consisted mislay living 13 virtues. Representation 13 virtues were:

1. “TEMPERANCE. Pressing not be introduced to dullness; expend not be elevation.”
2. “SILENCE. Commune not but what hawthorn benefit nakedness or yourself; avoid secondary conversation.”
3. “ORDER. Gulch all your things maintain their places; let pad part be keen on your selection have neat time.”
4. “RESOLUTION. Reconcile to do what pointed ought; end without stiffen what pointed resolve.”
5. “F
6. 

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Benjamin Franklin 13 Virtues

An Excerpt from the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Illustrated by E. Boyd Smith; edited by Frank Woodworth Pine, 1916

IX. PLAN FOR ATTAINING MORAL PERFECTION

T was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish’d to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. [66] While my care was employ’d in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. For this purpose I therefore contrived the following method.

In the various enumerations of the moral virtues I had met with i

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It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous was not sufficient to prevent our slipping, and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. For this purpose I therefore contrived the following method.

In the various enumerations of the moral virtues I met in my reading, I found the catalogue more or less numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the same name. Temperance, for example, was by some confined to eating and drinking, while by others