A634.6.3.RB_MaceRoyce
Benjamin Franklin's self-improvement program included 13 virtues that he felt were important guides for living along with principles for each that would, in his opinion, define a person of good character. He developed a scorecard for evaluating how well he measured up to his own ideals. Throughout his life, Franklin tried to live by these virtues though not always successfully.
Review Ben's 13 Virtues and take the Virtue Quiz to find out how you measure up against Franklin's virtues.
Select three of Franklin's virtues and reflect upon them in your blog. Ask yourself, how can I include them in my daily life?
I personally think Franklin's thirteen virtues that relate to self-improvement and overall good character are pretty accurate. They encompass a wide range of virtuous behaviors expected of modern society (within the last 250 years at least). Like Franklin, most of us will be challenged to live a completely virtuous life. Temptation is harder to deal with as human beings than we think. Franklin's thirteen virtues include:
1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e., Waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. 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.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
In selecting three of Franklin's virtues from above and per the prompt (one good personal virtue from my perspective and two bad according to my quiz results) I have selected "industry" as my personally "good" virtue while "temperance" and "frugality" remain my weaknesses. According to PBS (2002), my virtuous weaknesses are as follows:
Temperance:
"As a young man, Ben tried not to drink too much. Maybe you should consider being the designated driver next time you go out partying."
Frugality:
"Ben did not always follow his own advice about saving money. However, Ben is remembered for his saying "A penny saved is a penny earned." Make a budget and try to stick to it."
I would say that these are fairly accurate assessments of my virtuous weaknesses. I enjoy drinking and mixing it up with friends, but sometimes to excess. I have learned to control this weakness with age and maturity. In terms of frugality, I have had my fair share of extravagant spending. Not having much growing up has given me a sense of entitlement to spend money freely. Without going into great detail, I have spent more money than I should have in the past (especially in my 20s). Over time, I have learned to control the very virtues that "pop-up" in the Ben Franklin Virtue Quiz.
To conclude, my greatest virtue is in the form of "industry". Franklin's personal definition of Industry: "Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions". Based on this definition, I am very good as an individual when it comes to my industrious actions. I am an air traffic controller who understands the importance of my job and focusing as much as possible on a job that requires an exorbitant amount of attention to detail in order to keep the public safe (ethically virtuous). I am able to push aside distractions in all aspects of life, i.e. other virtues that hold less relevance, and treat the most important virtues with the utmost respect.
Resources
Public Broadcasting Service. (2002). Virtue quiz. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/exp_virtue_results.html?a=134423444344
Review Ben's 13 Virtues and take the Virtue Quiz to find out how you measure up against Franklin's virtues.
Select three of Franklin's virtues and reflect upon them in your blog. Ask yourself, how can I include them in my daily life?
I personally think Franklin's thirteen virtues that relate to self-improvement and overall good character are pretty accurate. They encompass a wide range of virtuous behaviors expected of modern society (within the last 250 years at least). Like Franklin, most of us will be challenged to live a completely virtuous life. Temptation is harder to deal with as human beings than we think. Franklin's thirteen virtues include:
1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e., Waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. 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.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
In selecting three of Franklin's virtues from above and per the prompt (one good personal virtue from my perspective and two bad according to my quiz results) I have selected "industry" as my personally "good" virtue while "temperance" and "frugality" remain my weaknesses. According to PBS (2002), my virtuous weaknesses are as follows:
Temperance:
"As a young man, Ben tried not to drink too much. Maybe you should consider being the designated driver next time you go out partying."
Frugality:
"Ben did not always follow his own advice about saving money. However, Ben is remembered for his saying "A penny saved is a penny earned." Make a budget and try to stick to it."
I would say that these are fairly accurate assessments of my virtuous weaknesses. I enjoy drinking and mixing it up with friends, but sometimes to excess. I have learned to control this weakness with age and maturity. In terms of frugality, I have had my fair share of extravagant spending. Not having much growing up has given me a sense of entitlement to spend money freely. Without going into great detail, I have spent more money than I should have in the past (especially in my 20s). Over time, I have learned to control the very virtues that "pop-up" in the Ben Franklin Virtue Quiz.
To conclude, my greatest virtue is in the form of "industry". Franklin's personal definition of Industry: "Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions". Based on this definition, I am very good as an individual when it comes to my industrious actions. I am an air traffic controller who understands the importance of my job and focusing as much as possible on a job that requires an exorbitant amount of attention to detail in order to keep the public safe (ethically virtuous). I am able to push aside distractions in all aspects of life, i.e. other virtues that hold less relevance, and treat the most important virtues with the utmost respect.
Resources
Public Broadcasting Service. (2002). Virtue quiz. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/exp_virtue_results.html?a=134423444344
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