Benjamin Franklin's 13 Ways to Get Better. How it works
Here is what this politician writes in his writings:
“I conceived a bold and difficult plan to achieve moral perfection. I wanted to live without ever making any mistakes, conquering everything that natural inclinations, habits or society could push me to. Since I knew or thought I knew what was good and what was bad, I saw no reason why I should not always follow one and avoid the other. But I soon discovered that I had set myself a much more difficult task than I had originally imagined. While my attention was occupied with how to avoid one mistake, I often unexpectedly made another; an ingrained habit manifested itself, taking advantage of my inattention; inclination was sometimes stronger than reason. Finally, I came to the conclusion that the mere reasonable belief that it is best for ourselves to be perfectly virtuous is not enough to keep us from failing, and that before we achieve stable, constantly moral behavior from ourselves, we must eradicate own bad habits. For this purpose, I have developed the following method.
In the various enumerations of the moral virtues which I have come across in the books I have read, I have found more or less of them, as different writers have designated more or less ideas by the same name. For example, some have reduced abstinence only to moderation in eating and drinking, while others have extended this concept to limit any pleasure, any inclination or passion, bodily or spiritual, even ambition or avarice. I decided, for the sake of clarity, to aim rather at more names with fewer ideas associated with each name, than at a few names with more ideas determined by each of them, in which I designated by thirteen names all those virtues that seemed to me at that time necessary. and desirable, by associating with each name a short instruction that fully expressed the scope of each concept.
Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 into a family of modest means. He started working at the age of 12. Over time, Franklin became a successful printer, writer, scientist, politician, and diplomat. He attributed most his success in working on 13 virtues, thanks to which he was ready for any eventuality.
Virtue cards to help you develop and track your progress
For most of his life, Franklin carried virtue cards with him. Each had a table of 7 columns and 13 rows. The columns are the days of the week and the rows are the virtues.
During the day, he took out the card several times to remind himself of his intentions. And in the evening I looked through all the virtues and noted those on which I worked today.
The goal is to label as many cells as possible.
The new week started with a new card. And not all of them were the same: Benjamin used 13 variations, and on each card one of the virtues was indicated on top with brief description. This meant that she needed to be focused on this week.
At the end of the week, he assessed which virtues were being developed and which were not. I thought about what areas of my life I need to focus on. He also produced something like a quarterly report every 13 weeks, when one card cycle ended. This helped him notice patterns in behavior.
Over time, these virtues became part of his character. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
13 Virtues of Franklin
1. Temperance
Eat only to satisfy your hunger. Don't overeat just for fun or out of greed. Stop drinking when you notice that alcohol distorts your perception. Watch what goes into your body.
2. Silence
If you can't add something worthwhile to the conversation, keep quiet. Listen more to your interlocutors. Avoid empty talk. Don't speak just to fill a gap. This does not mean that you need to completely avoid people and. Just remember that such conversations have a clear purpose - for example, to get to know the interlocutor better.
3. Love for order
Keep your belongings organized so you can easily find them. When there are too many things, it is difficult to keep track of them. This is a signal that you have to go.
Do the same with time. Then you will always have time to do what is important to you.
4. Decisiveness
If you decide to do something, see it through to the end. Don't make promises that you can't or don't intend to deliver. Refuse if someone asks you to do something you can't do.
5. Thrift
Don't waste your money. Every ruble should go to some purpose. Try to get the maximum benefit for the amount spent.
The point is to develop a system of specific virtues or skills that will help you become a better person. And then monitor your progress daily.
Over time, these qualities will become a natural part of you. The main thing is to practice daily. Print out the virtue list cards or have them on your smartphone. Look at your card every morning to remind yourself what to work on today. In the evening, mark what you have done. At the end of the week, evaluate your overall progress.
Just don't expect instant results. Self development takes time. Follow this system day by day and you will notice that your life is getting better.
Benjamin Franklin's life was far more complex, creative, and complete than his many quotes, no matter how accurate, would suggest.
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He was one of the most unusual representatives of the human race. Born to a Boston candle maker, Benjamin Franklin became the most famous American of his time. He helped in the formation of a new state and nation, defined the American character. Writer, traveler, philanthropist, inventor, diplomat, businessman, musician, scientist, humorist, public and statesman, international celebrity... a genius.
In 1726, during an 80-day voyage from London to Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin devised a plan and a timetable to achieve moral perfection.
His plan was based on a list of thirteen virtues - human virtues.
He strove to pay strict attention to one virtue each week - noting on the table those days when he failed to observe this virtue. Franklin believed that if in the first week he managed to keep the first line (Temperance) unmarked, then in the next week he could extend his attention to the next line. After thirteen weeks he was going through all thirteen virtues. This course repeated four times a year.
Here is a description of this plan given by Franklin himself in his autobiography.
A PLAN FOR MORAL PERFECTION
Around this time, I hatched a bold, even audacious plan: to achieve moral perfection. I wanted to live without committing sins and offenses; I decided to overcome everything that either an innate inclination, or a habit, or other people's examples pushed me to. Knowing or imagining that I know what is good and what is bad, I saw no reason why I should not always follow the first and avoid the second. But I soon became convinced that the task was more difficult than I had imagined. While I was guarding against one sin with all my might, another overtook me; habit came into its own, attention slightly weakened; inclination was sometimes stronger than reason. Finally, I came to the conclusion that the mere speculative belief that it is in our interests to be perfectly virtuous is not enough to protect ourselves from repeated falls, and before we can rest on the thought that from now on your behavior will be consistently correct, it is necessary to get rid of bad habits, acquire good habits and establish yourself in them. And for this I have developed a certain method.
Among the various lists of moral virtues that I happened to read, there were more or less long ones, depending on whether the writers combined more or less concepts under one rubric. For example, some reduced abstinence only to food and drink, while others believed that one should abstain from all other pleasures, appetites, inclinations and passions, both bodily and spiritual, up to stinginess and ambition. I decided, for the sake of clarity, to prefer more rubrics and fewer concepts under each, and not a few rubrics that combine more concepts; and in thirteen headings I included everything that at that time seemed to me necessary and desirable, adding in each case a brief instruction, from which it was clear how I understood this or that virtue.
1. Temperance.
Do not eat to the point of stupefaction, do not drink to the point of intoxication.
2. Silence.
Speak only what can be of benefit to others or to yourself.
3. Love for order.
Let there be a place for each of your things; let there be a time for each of your affairs.
4. Decisiveness.
Decide to do what you must; and what you decide, carry out steadily.
5. Thrift.
Allow yourself only those expenses that will benefit others or yourself; don't waste anything.
6. Diligence.
Don't waste time; always be busy with something useful; cancel all unnecessary things.
7. Sincerity.
Do not resort to pernicious deceit: let your thoughts be innocent and just; and if you speak, then let the words be the same.
8. Justice.
Never offend people by doing them harm or not doing good, as duty dictates.
9. Moderation.
Avoid extremes; do not hold a grudge for the harm done to you, even if you think that it deserves it.
10. Cleanliness.
Do not allow the slightest dirt either on yourself, or in clothes, or in the house.
11. Calm.
Do not worry about trifles, because of small or inevitable incidents.
12. Chastity.
Indulge in lust rarely, only for health or for the prolongation of the family; do not let it lead to dullness or weakness, or deprive you of peace of mind or cast a shadow on your good name or anyone else.
13. Meekness.
Follow the example of Jesus and Socrates.
Since my intention was to make all these virtues habitual, I decided not to disperse my attention, trying to master all at once, but to focus it at the same time on only one; having mastered it, move on to the next and so on up to the thirteenth; and as the mastery of one might facilitate the mastery of some of the others, I have arranged them in the order in which they are given above.
In the first place - Temperance, because it helps to maintain a clear head, so necessary in conditions when I had to be constantly on the alert and vigilantly protect myself from the attractiveness of old habits and incessant temptations. Having established myself in this virtue, I thought, it would be easier to get used to Silence; and since my desire was to simultaneously acquire knowledge in virtues, and besides, it is not so much the tongue that helps to acquire knowledge in conversation, but the ears, which means that I need to get rid of my habit of wagging my tongue, joking and punning, for which I was only loved in ill-respected company, I put Silence in second place. I hoped that this and the following virtue, Love of order, would give me more time to carry out my plans and to study. Decisiveness, having become habitual, will help me in my attempts to acquire all the other virtues; Thrift and Industriousness, having rid me of the debts still lying on me and giving me well-being and independence, will facilitate the manifestations of Sincerity and Justice, etc., etc. And then, realizing that I, following the advice of Pythagoras, expressed by him in "Golden Verses", you will need to check yourself daily, I have developed the following method for such a check.
I made a little book in which I assigned a page for each virtue. I lined each page in red ink into seven columns, marking them with the initial letters of the days of the week. And across these columns I drew thirteen red lines, placing at the beginning of each of them the first letter of one of the virtues, in order to mark in the desired cell with a black dot all cases when, during verification, it turns out that on such and such a day I sinned against such and such virtues.
temperance
Do not eat to the point of stupefaction, Do not drink to the point of intoxication.
I resolved to give exclusive attention to one virtue for a week. Thus, in the first week, I especially tried not to sin against Temperance, while taking care of the rest of the virtues only in passing and only noting the misdeeds of the past day every evening. It seemed to me that if in the first week it was possible to keep the first line marked B. without marks, then in the next week I could extend my attention to the second and already in the next week both first lines would remain unmarked. Proceeding in this way, I will finish full course in thirteen weeks, and in a year I will do four courses.
And just as a person who plans to weed his garden does not try to pull out all the weeds at once, which would be beyond his strength, but works on one bed and, only having finished it, moves on to the next, so I hoped to rejoice and be inspired by the sight of that how I prosper in the virtues, how there are more and more blank lines, and finally, having done several courses, I am delighted to be convinced, after thirteen weeks, that I see before me a whole blank page.
As an epigraph to my little book, I took the following lines from Addison's Cato:
I'm standing on that. If someone is above us,
(and nature is a witness to this),
He will be happy with perfect creations,
And they are happy with His joy.
The second epigraph was from Cicero:
"O vitæ Philosophia dux! O virtutum indagatrix expultrixque vitiorum! Unus dies, bene et ex præceptis tuis actus, peccanti immortalitati est anteponendus.
...
I began to carry out my plan of self-examination and did this for quite a long time, with occasional breaks. I was surprised that I have a lot more sins than I thought; but I noted with satisfaction that they were getting smaller. To save myself the trouble of starting a new book to replace the old one, which was full of holes when I erased and scraped off the marks of old misdeeds from the paper, making room for new marks, I transferred my tables and instructions to ivory plates lined with strong red ink, and I made notes with a black pencil, and they were easily erased with a wet sponge as needed. Subsequently, I began to do only one course a year, then several years, and in the end I abandoned them altogether, being busy with travel, work overseas and a thousand different things; but I always carried my little book with me.
What gave me the most trouble was the point concerning order; I saw that my instructions could possibly be done for a person whose duties allow him to freely dispose of his time, for example, for a traveling printer; but for the owner, who is forced to communicate with many people, and they often choose the time for business meetings themselves, such a task is simply unbearable. It was also very difficult to get used to keeping in order, in certain places, papers and other things.
“About 1728 (that is, at the age of 22 ...) I conceived a bold and difficult plan for achieving moral perfection, highlighting the thirteen most important moral virtues known to me. Here are the names of these virtues with their respective instructions:
- Abstinence. - Eat not to satiety, drink not to intoxication.
- Silence. - Say only what can benefit me or another; avoid empty talk.
- . – Keep all your belongings in place; There is a time for every lesson.
- . - Decide to do what needs to be done; strictly carry out what is decided.
- Thrift. - Spend money only on what benefits me or others, that is, do not squander anything.
- . – Do not waste time in vain; to be always busy with something useful, to refuse all unnecessary actions.
- . – Do not cause harmful deceit, have pure and fair thoughts; in a conversation also adhere to this rule.
- . “Do no harm to anyone, do no injustice, and do not omit the good deeds that are among your duties.
- Moderation. – Avoid extremes; restrain, as far as you consider it appropriate, the feeling of resentment from injustices.
- Purity. - Avoid bodily impurity; observe neatness in clothing and housing.
- . – Do not worry about trifles and about ordinary or inevitable cases.
- Chastity. - Indulge in love pleasures not often, only for the sake of health or procreation, never do it to the point of stupefaction, exhaustion, and also to the detriment of one's own or someone else's reputation.
- . “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”
This list does not claim to be universal and will not suit many, but for the beginning life of 22-year-old Ben Franklin, he was working and needed.
Franklin was sure that if he managed to remain faithful to the chosen quality for a week, it would become a habit and it would be possible to move on to the next virtue, and each time he would allow fewer deviations from the ideal. Misdemeanors were marked as black dots on the calendar until the transformation was complete, after which, Franklin was sure, he would need only periodic "examination and repair" of ingrained morality.
The plan succeeded to some extent. At first he repeated this cycle several times in a row, then he appointed himself one course annually, and then every few years. But the virtue of Order - "Let all things lie in their places and each case has its own time" - so eluded him. Franklin had no natural inclination to keep papers and other possessions in strict order, and the effort to maintain order was given to him with such difficulty that he almost gave up. In addition, his business, the printing press, constantly demanded attention, and Franklin could not always follow the tight schedule he had planned. The ideal daily routine, also included in the little "virtue diary", looked like this:
PLAN
Was his system successful? We list only the main ones. As a scientist, Benjamin Franklin explored the nature of electricity, invented a lightning rod and created a capacitor bank, introduced the designation of electric polarity "+" and "-" into physics, put forward the concept of an electric motor, invented bifocal glasses, studied flow, width, depth (and gave this name! ) of the Gulf Stream. As a politician, he was the only one who sealed with his signature all three of the most important historical documents that underlie the formation of the United States of America. This is p first American to become a foreign member Russian Academy Sciences.When he died, about 20 thousand people gathered for his funeral.
How many people will remember you?
Stagnation, that is, a state when it seems that nothing is happening, is the biggest illusion. It doesn't exist. Time always passes, and a person either steps up or degrades. Therefore, if you are aiming for a better life, then just remember the words of the legendary thinker Aristotle: "We are what we constantly do. Perfection, therefore, is not an action, but a habit." Of course, managing your own life, and not "rushing along the waves" is not an easy task, but quite real. Perhaps Benjamin Franklin's 13 principles for achieving moral excellence, which TengriMIX shares below, will help you with this.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the few politicians whose name is constantly heard because he was a polymath - one whose intellectual ability, interests and activities were not limited to one area of knowledge. He has acted as a scientist, journalist, inventor, diplomat, philosopher, writer, publisher, and leader in the fight for US independence. Reading his biography, one never ceases to be amazed at how he managed to achieve so much. Perhaps the whole point is in the right attitude towards oneself: Franklin, first of all, wanted to be a Human. Here is what he wrote in his autobiography:
"I wanted to live without committing sins and misdeeds; I decided to overcome everything that was pushed me either by an innate inclination, or a habit, or other people's examples. To do this, I developed a certain methodology. I included everything that at that time seemed to me necessary and desirable, adding in each case a short instruction, from which it was clear how I understood this or that virtue.
Actually, here they are, those very "headings":
1. Temperance.
Do not eat to the point of stupefaction, do not drink to the point of intoxication.
2. Silence.
Speak only what can be of benefit to others or to yourself.
3. Love for order.
Let there be a place for each of your things; let there be a time for each of your affairs.
4. Decisiveness.
Decide to do what you must; and what you decide, carry out steadily.
5. Thrift.
Allow yourself only those expenses that will benefit others or yourself; don't waste anything.
6. Diligence.
Don't waste time; always be busy with something useful; cancel all unnecessary things.
7. Sincerity.
Do not resort to pernicious deceit: let your thoughts be innocent and just; and if you speak, then let the words be the same.
8. Justice.
Never offend people by doing them harm or not doing good, as duty dictates.
9. Moderation.
Avoid extremes; do not hold a grudge for the harm done to you, even if you think that it deserves it.
10. Cleanliness.
Do not allow the slightest dirt either on yourself, or in clothes, or in the house.
11. Calm.
Do not worry about trifles, because of small or inevitable incidents.
12. Chastity.
Indulge in lust rarely, only for health or for the prolongation of the family; do not let it lead to dullness or weakness, or deprive you of peace of mind or cast a shadow on your good name or anyone else.
13. Meekness.
Follow the example of Jesus and Socrates.
Benjamin Franklin worked every day to develop these virtues. At the end of the day, he kept track of which of them he managed to use today and which did not. If one of the items was a miss, he marked the cell with this virtue on that day of the week with a cross. If the violation was very severe, he put two crosses. In order to make the development of one's character most effective, each of the virtues received its own week, during which special attention was paid to it.
Prepared by: Nurlyaiym Nursain