by Benjamin
Franklin (1706-1790)
It was about
this time I conceiv’d the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral
perfection. I wish’d to live without committing any fault at any time; I would
conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me
into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why
I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had
undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was
employ’d in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit
took advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason.
I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our
interest to be completely virtuous was not sufficient to prevent our slipping;
and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and
established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude
of conduct. For this purpose I therefore contrived the following method.
In the various enumerations of the
moral virtues I had met with in my reading, I found the catalogue more or less
numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the same
name. Temperance, for example, was by some confined to eating and drinking,
while by others it was extended to mean the moderating of every other pleasure,
appetite, inclination, or passion, bodily or mental, even to our avarice and
ambition. I propos’d to myself, for the sake of clearness, to use rather more
names, with fewer ideas annex’d to each, than a few names with more ideas; and
I included under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurr’d to me
as necessary or desirable, and annex’d to each a short precept, which fully
expresse’d the extent I gave to its meaning.
These names of virtues, with their
precepts were:
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 dullness, weakness, or the injury
of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. Humility
Imitate Jesus
and Socrates.
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 certain others, I arrang’d them with that view, as they
stand above. Temperance first, as it tends to procure that coolness and
clearness of head, which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be
kept up, and guard maintained against the unremitting attraction of ancient
habits, and the force of perpetual temptations. This being acquir’d and
establish’d, Silence would be more easy; and my desire being to gain knowledge
at the same time that I improv’d in virtue, and considering that in
conversation it was obtain’d rather by the use of the ears than of the tongue,
and therefore wishing to break a habit I was getting into of prattling,
punning, and joking, which only made me acceptable to trifling company, I gave
Silence the second place. This and the next, Order, I expected would allow me
more time for attending to my project and my studies. Resolution, once become
habitual, would keep me firm in my endeavors to obtain all the subsequent
virtues; Frugality and Industry freeing me from my remaining debt, and
producing affluence and independence, would make more easy the practice of
Sincerity and Justice, etc., etc.
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