According to The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, when he was 20 years of age, Benjamin Franklin set out to make himself morally perfect. Franklin had received a classical education and had studied the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and their concept of the so-called ideal man. His journey to moral perfection, as most do, importantly started with self-reflection of his own behavior. As the Dalai Lama said, "To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else." Franklin soon found that he often fell short of the ideal man - he ate and drank too much, he spent more money than he should, he talked too much (especially about himself) and didn't listen enough.
Next, he listed and defined thirteen virtues that he felt were desirable and necessary for his pursuit of moral perfection. He originally started the list with 12 virtues, but he expanded his list to thirteen when a friend suggested that he add "humility" to the list. Thirteen virtues fit nicely (not because there were thirteen original American colonies - that would be too ironic) into a calendar, which suited his methods. Multiply 13 by 4 and you get 52, and there are 52 weeks in a year. Franklin would work on each virtue for a week before moving on to the next virtue on the list the next week, and so on for a period of 13 weeks. He would track his progress on a chart and share with colleagues (see the figure below). At the end of a 13-week period, he would go back to the start of the list and repeat.
Franklin wrote, "My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judg’d it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro’ the thirteen; and, as the previous acquisition of some might facilitate the acquisition of certain others, I arrang’d them with that view..."
Here are Frankin's 13 virtues that he felt necessary for moral perfection, as he defined them in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin:
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 employ’d 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 uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Franklin admitted that his pursuit of moral perfection was a lifelong journey. He wrote, "...on the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it; as those who aim at perfect writing by imitating the engraved copies, tho’ they never reach the wished-for excellence of those copies, their hand is mended by the endeavor, and tolerable, while it continues fair and legible."
David G. Allan wrote an online article for CNN.com a few years ago ("Benjamin Franklin's '13 virtues' path to personal perfection"), describing his own personal journey to moral perfection by following Franklin's "life hack" (see also several other articles by Allan on "The Wisdom Project"). Importantly, while Allan started with Franklin's list of 13 virtues, he further refined and modified the list over time to in order to meet his own needs. Like Franklin, Allan too found that the journey was never-ending. Allan continued to chart his progress on his list of ideal virtues (Morality, Industry, Friendliness, Erudition, Frugality, Flexibility, Civic Duty, Introspection, Patience, Spirituality, Creativity, Mindfulness and Healthfulness) for over a decade.
Franklin's list (and Allan's as well for that matter) of virtues are important for leaders too. His method of self-reflection followed by a quest towards personal improvement is one that we all could easily adopt. What virtues would you add or subtract to the list? I encourage you to try Franklin's method out on your own journey of self-discovery and self-improvement.
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