Ben Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues

Ben Franklin is one of my heroes.  He is industrious, intelligent, experimental, controversial, revolutionary, scientific, social and well-traveled.  He is also the world’s first Quantified Self tracker. Here are his thirteen virtues. 

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 preform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5.  FRUGALITY – Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is, waste nothing.

6.  INDUSTRY – Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7.  SINCERITY – Use no harmful 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, clothes, or habituation.

11.  TRANQUILITY – Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable.

12.  CHASTITY.  .  .  .  . [be respectable]

13.  HUMILITY – Imitate Jesus and Socrates”

“Come give us a taste of your quality” – Shakespeare