In the late s, a young Philadelphia printer sat down at a table by candlelight and opened up a small leather book. With a few fits and starts, he jotted down twelve virtues that he would try to follow.
When he shared his list with a friend of his, Franklin was rankled to learn that many people thought him proud. As a result, he added humility to the list. He would spend a week on each virtue, and then go down the list in thirteen weeks before starting over again. Thus, Franklin could cycle through the list four times a year as he set out to mold his character. These sources agreed that good character is formed by the practice of virtue and bad character by the practice of vice.
He attempted to gain mastery over his vices and passions as he governed himself. This self-mastery, Franklin believed, would lead to true happiness rather than the fleeting pleasure and unfortunate consequences of vice.
This was an important concept to practice in a self-governing society such as the American colonies, as a representative government would only work with a good and virtuous citizenry. Franklin began his plan and was supported by his friends and his wife, Deborah. He was diligent about launching his project and kept track of his failures in his book.
Franklin was a little disappointed by what he discovered about himself. However, he kept at his project and worked hard to improve his character for his own happiness as well as to help create a better society in Philadelphia.
While Franklin later admitted that over time he only went through the list of virtues once per year, and later only once every few years because of his significant public responsibilities as a diplomat and statesman, he defended the utility of his plan of moral perfection. Franklin had learned a valuable lesson about character at a relatively young age.
He was well-liked for his amiability, moderation, and civility, and he used these virtues to benefit his country. Try to seek out meaningful conversations and avoid meaningless chatter. Idle chatter for no purpose is the problem, as is speaking just to fill space in the conversation. Keep your physical possessions organized so that you can always find what you need.
If you have too many things that it becomes very difficult to keep them all straight, then this is a call to start downsizing the less important things. If you decide to do something, carry through with it. My favorite virtue, perhaps. Whenever you spend a dollar or use something, have it be genuinely purposeful. You want to get maximum value for the dollars that you have when you choose to spend them. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
Be honest in your words, but also kind in terms of the impact that they can have on others. Try to find ways so that everyone involved in your interactions finds some genuine benefit. Seek out solutions so that everyone wins. Choosing extreme positions or acting toward others in extreme ways often ends up with negative consequences for you without any real benefit.
Avoid taking positions or behaving in ways that bring harm towards others unless you intentionally are bringing harm, in which case be careful in the amount of harm you bring.
Practice hygiene. Keep your clothes clean. Keep your home clean. Keep your office clean. Keep your teeth clean. This is not only for your own health, but also for how you present yourself to the world.
If you recognize your emotions swelling, consciously keep them in check. Learn how to recognize your own emotions inside and understand them without reacting to them or acting upon them. Use them as information instead in order to make better decisions. Undersell and overdeliver in everything that you do. A person who is a true master of these 13 virtues would be a great person, indeed, and would likely find that great success nearly falls on their lap.
You might include things like meditation, stoicism, and prayer in your list of virtues. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
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