Benjamin Franklin Virtues

Benjamin Franklin Virtues development plan, also known as his "moral perfection" project, is the most well known of the many things he did to improve himself. He followed it most of his life. He made a list of 13 virtues and their descriptions. I've listed them out here:

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. Tranquillity: Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity: Rarely use venery [sex] 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.

He made a chart with 7 columns for the days and 13 rows for the virtues. He kept this chart in his pocket noting when he failed at holding to the virtue he was working on that week. In fact 50 years after developing it, he would sometimes bring it out to show others.

Benjamin Franklin would cycle through the virtues, focusing first on one then another. Repeating the cycle over and over spanning years, he was confident his character was greatly improved by it. I understand he had the most difficulty with order and humility. He rationalized his failings as he was so busy and had a good enough memory that he didn't need to be orderly. And for humility, "for even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome [pride], I would probably be proud of my humility".

Plan for Future Conduct

1. It is necessary for me to be extremely frugal for some time, til I have paid what I owe.
2. To Endeavor to speak truth in every instance: to give nobody expectations that are not likely to be answered, but aim at sincerity in every word and action - the most amiable excellence in a rational being.
3. To apply myself industriously to whatever business I take in hand, and not divert my mind from my business by any foolish project of suddenly growing rich; for industry and patience are the surest means of plenty.
4. I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever.

Here's an Excel Spreadsheet with his virutes plan that you can use. You may want to make your own list of values or character traits you might like to work on. Don't forget to include your description or definition of the traits you choose.

As a young man Benjamin Franklin started a club that he called Junto, for the mutual improvement of it's members. He wrote extensive rules of requirements and conduct to facilitate debate while reducing confrontations. "All expressions of positiveness in opinion or of direct contradiction", he recalled, "were prohibited under small pecuniary penalties." They met once a week and everyone had to have a question to explore and every three months a member must produce a written essay on any subject he chose. Can you imagine such a gathering now?

Many of the articles he wrote for his newspaper and Poor Richards Almanac advocated his view of good virtues and morals. He wrote of managing money (frugality) and managing time (Industry) as well as the art of conversation (Silence and Sincerity). Most often these articles were published under pseudonyms like Richard Saunders (Poor Richard) instead of his own name, Benjamin.

Franklin was a great letter writer but declared himself a poor orator. His contemporaries must have disagreed because they repeatedly sent him to Great Britain and France to represent the colonies and the then new, struggling country. He says his main tool in discussions was a small smile and silence which was often misinterpreted as agreement. He could then go about doing as he pleased because he never really agreed with his opponent.

Benjamin Franklin virtues included never directly disagreeing with others, but turn to them to his point of view using the Socratic method of seeming agreement while bringing up scenarios that wouldn't fit with his opponents view. Or using innocent seeming questions. He often did this with disparaging remarks about his own abilities, believing that any kind of arrogance or boasting made people less inclined to listen to you. Dale Carnegie used this precept in his business and self-improvement courses.

Let me know what you think about this article by submitting a Comment. I'll post appropriate comments. Maybe your comment will help someone else.