Benjamin Franklin is one of America’s founding fathers, an inventor, a statesman, and a polymath. What many people don’t know is that he was also a self-improvement guru. In his youth, Franklin created a list of 13 virtues to live by, which he believed would help him become a better person. These virtues are still relevant today and can help anyone elevate their life.
Unveiling Benjamin Franklin’s Timeless Self-Improvement Strategies!
Franklin believed that self-improvement was a lifelong journey, and he pursued it relentlessly. He discovered that by focusing on specific virtues, he could become a better person. Some of these virtues include honesty, sincerity, and humility. Franklin believed that by practicing these virtues, he could improve his character and his reputation.
One way Franklin achieved this was by keeping track of his progress. He created a chart with the 13 virtues and marked off each day when he succeeded in practicing them. He found that the act of keeping track helped him stay accountable and motivated.
Elevate Your Life with Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues!
Here are the 13 virtues that Franklin believed could help anyone elevate their life:
- 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, clothes, 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.
Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues are an excellent guide for anyone who wants to improve their life. By focusing on specific virtues and tracking our progress, we can become better people. As Franklin once said, “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” So let us embrace Franklin’s timeless self-improvement strategies and elevate our lives!
