practice Franklin's 13 virtues

Ongoing project – I did fall down with these. So I am going to do what Franklin did – keep trying even if I fail sometimes. So The virtue of the week will feature along with reminding myself what they actually are.

I tried informally but this did not go to plan. So I am trying formally.

Need to fill my diary – I have an A5 page a day one!

Marking this as complete as I did practice them but not practise them (enough) if you understadn the distinction!

1. RESOLUTION: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve

2. INDUSTRY: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

3. TRANQUILITY: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

4. TEMPERANCE: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.

5. ORDER: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

6. FRUGALITY: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.

7. MODERATION: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

8. CLEANLINESS: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

9. JUSTICE: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

10. SINCERITY: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

11. 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.

12. SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

13. HUMILITY: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

Monday:Failed.

Tuesday:Failed.

Wednesday:Failed.

Thursday:Failed.

Friday:Failed.

Saturday:Failed.

Sunday:Failed.

Another week of failure.

Maybe I should try something a little less taxing. Like breathing ;-)

Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

Monday:Failed.

Tuesday:Failed.

Wednesday:Failed.

Thursday:Failed.

Friday:Failed.

Saturday:Failed.

Sunday:Failed.

Oh dear! A whole week of failure. Oh well, I will do better next quarter.

Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

Monday:Failed.

Tuesday:Failed.

Wednesday:Failed.

Thursday:Failed.

Friday:Success.

Saturday:Failed.

Sunday:Failed.

Hmmm – one success this week is better than no success!

Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

Monday:Failed.

Tuesday:Failed.

Wednesday:Failure.

Thursday:Success!

Friday:Failed.

Saturday:Failed.

Sunday:Failed.

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.

Monday:Success.

Tuesday:Success.

Wednesday:Failed.

Thursday:Success.

Friday:Success.

Saturday:Failed.

Sunday:Neither failed or succeeded!

Yes its on my life list but I had forgotten about doing it until I got cheered on this goal today. I think that I shall have to set this up as a diary entry in my diary and use it!

Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloths, or habitation.

Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

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.

Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates

Yes, one per cent. Do one per cent at a time if you are as backward as I am in order to get ahead and do better.

One per cent of an inconic and great individual is better to aspire to than trying to aspire to the whole of them.

Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Apparently after yet more research on Franklin’s practice of these virtues – he would cycle through the virtue of the week throughout his list. This would mean that each quarter he would go though “virtue of the week” each week for the whole quarter. Then he would start again. Also he would assess how many times a day he had faltered on each virtue.

This is the greatest systemic early example of self improvement I have seen. It serves as an inspiration especially as we know that he had difficulty in keeping some of these virtues in his life. But he was human and I think it is worth focusing on what he accomplished rather that on what he didn’t do.

I have also seen that he originally created 12 virtues for himself but added the 13th (humility) later on in life when a friend accused him of being too boastful of these virtues.

Can’t really use this site easily to list have many times I fail at each virtue daily.

Monday: I am omitting the benefits that are properly due to my wife and child. I am morose and moody and angry with them a lot of the time. Yes I’m unemployed at the moment but that should not be an excuse.

Tuesday: Benefits? Paying tax is a benefit to society so long as taxes are not sqandered. Have paid taxes for 17+ years this is valid.
Wednesday:Not Done.
Thursday:Not Done.
Friday:Not Done.
Saturday:Not Done. Day trip to Weston-Super-Mare.
Sunday:No Done. Anniversary.