How Benjamin Franklin's Virtue System Will Change Your Life

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Developing Franklin's 13 virtues will help you become better, withstand challenges, and be open to everything new.

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 book printer, writer, scientist, politician and diplomat. He attributed much of his success to working on the 13 virtues that made him ready for any unexpected event.

Virtue cards will 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 pulled 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 mark as many cells as possible.

The new week began with a new card. And not all of them were the same: Benjamin used 13 variations, and on each card one of the virtues with a short description was indicated on top. This meant that she needed to focus on this week.

At the end of the week, he judged which virtues were developing and which were not. I thought about what areas of my life I needed to direct my efforts. He also made a kind of quarterly report every 13 weeks when one card cycle ended. This helped him to notice patterns in behavior.

Over time, these virtues became part of his character. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Franklin's 13 virtues

1. Abstinence

Eat just to satisfy your hunger. Don't overeat just for fun or greed. Stop drinking when you notice that alcohol is distorting your perception. Watch what goes into your body.

2. Silence

If you can't add something worthwhile to the conversation, keep quiet. Listen to your interlocutors more. Avoid idle chatter. Don't say to just fill the gap. This does not mean that you should completely avoid people and small talk. Just remember that such conversations have a clear purpose - for example, to get to know the interlocutor better.

3. Love of 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 it is time for you to get rid of the excess.

Do the same over time. Then you will always have time to do what is important to you.

4. Determination

If you decide to do something, see it through to the end. Don't make promises that you can't, or don't even intend to do. Refuse if you are asked for something that you cannot do.

5. Thrift

Don't waste your money. Each ruble should go towards some goal. Try to get the most value for the amount spent.

If you decide not to spend money, let it benefit you in some other way. Set them aside for a bigger goal or pay off debts.

6. Diligence

Don't spend time in idleness. Always try to do something useful. When there is not enough energy or attention for the current task, find another activity within your strength. If at the moment you have nothing to do, work on yourself. If you are too tired, go to bed. If tiredness persists for a long time, take a vacation or see a doctor.

7. Sincerity

Be honest, but think about how your words will affect others. Try not to hurt the person, but to inspire. Don't lie or mislead others. If you criticize, do it without cruelty.

8. Fairness

Don't harm others for your own benefit. Look for solutions that benefit all parties. If you have promised something, keep your word. Or renegotiate conditions if they become impracticable.

9. Moderation

Avoid extremes. Extremely harsh behavior towards others usually leads to negative consequences. If you deliberately want to harm, be careful not to overdo it.

10. Cleanliness

Keep your clothes clean. Keep your home and workplace clean. Don't forget about personal hygiene. This is important not only for your health, but also affects how others perceive you.

11. Calmness

Don't be discouraged by unexpected events. They are inevitable, and sadness does nothing to deal with them. Learn to recognize your emotions and not let them influence your behavior. Treat them simply as information to help you make the best decision.

12. Chastity

Don't let passions distract you or become the focus of your life. Don't let them push you into betrayal. If you cannot cope on your own, seek help, but do not dismiss this virtue.

13. Meekness

Exceed expectations in any endeavor. Don't brag about how wonderful you are. Just do more and give others credit.

How to apply this system in life

Take the virtues of Franklin as a basis and add to them those you want to develop in yourself. Or create your own list from scratch.

The point is to develop a system of specific virtues or skills that will help you become better. And then monitor your progress daily.

Over time, these qualities will become a natural part of you. The key is to practice daily. Print cards with a list of virtues or start them on your smartphone. Look at the card every morning to remind yourself what to work on today. Celebrate what you did in the evening. And at the end of the week, measure your overall progress.

Don't expect instant results. Self-development takes time. Follow this system day after day and you will find that your life is getting better.