I Couldn’t Resist
Benjamin Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues
- 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 employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary act.
- 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 extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you
think they deserve. - Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
- Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or
unavoidable. - Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness,
weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. - Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
My [B. Franklin] list of virtues contained at first twelve, but a Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride showed 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 convinced me by mentioning several instances; I determined endeavoring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list.
B. Franklin Source: http://www.sfheart.com/FranklinsVirtues.html
© Copyright 2023, James E. Lukaszewski. America’s Crisis Guru®
Get permission to reproduce or quote. Contact the copyright holder, jel@e911.com.