The acquisition of Virtue

Benjamin Franklin developed a system of acquiring virtue. He started trying to just do everything right and not making mistakes but, he noticed when he worked on one virtue thru habit he would forget another. He developed a system of checking virtues in a notebook when he made mistakes and he would try to get one virtue right a week and then work on the next. A well thought out system of making him a better person every day. The one virtue I need to work on that he records is silence. He states " …my desire being to gain knowledge…and considering that in conversation it was obtained rather by the use of the ear than of the tongue …I gave silence second place. Probity and Integrity he gave priority over all other virtues and I had to look up probity, it is absolute moral correctness. In obtaining these he states that he "…forbear all direct contradiction to the sentiment of others and all positive assertion of my own. He even forbade himself from using any words or expressions that imported a fixed opinion. He would not say words like certainly or undoubtedly but used others like I conceive, or I comprehend or I imagine. Even if someone was saying something that he thought was in error he denied himself the pleasure of contradicting them abruptly but would say that in certain circumstances maybe they were right but, there appeared or it seemed to be….He finds more success and less contradiction but a better reception of this modest way of communicating. Boy, what a world of difference this would make with my personality If I could learn this manner of communicating.

He states that the one virtue that is more difficult than all others is pride for he says "disguise it, struggle with it, stifle it, and mortify it, as much as one pleases it is still alive and will every now and then peep out and show itself."

I wonder at the desire and discipline that Benjamin Franklin had to attack his faults and one at a time build virtues. He was almost a little obsessed about it. But, then he realizes that it is impossible to be perfect but the striving to be perfect makes us a little better every day. He does not follow this all of his life but, it slowly tampers out with time because he is so busy but, he always carried his book of virtues with him.

What a different time that must have been people were were more cognizant of their shortcoming and how they could be better or maybe it was just Benjamin Franklin. But, I think it was a different time. Nowadays people are more interested in discussing how it is not their fault and how they are not responsible. Responsibility is a slippery string we may try to slide off it but it is always there between our fingers whether or not we acknowledge it. We are responsible for our actions for our words and emotions. When we say we are not we are lying to ourselves and the stumbling block is left in front of us. By acknowledging our actions and the consequences of them we are in a position to change with the freedom and ability to act for ourselves to make things different.

Benjamin Franklin decided to acknowledge he was responsible for how he spoke or acted and made strides every day to be better. How much difference he did make because of this decision and his strides to acquire virture.

Qualities of Success

There were times in Benjamin Franklin's life where he made mistakes and you wonder how he became so popular. For one he is acknowledging his mistakes, two he was a very hard worker, three he formed a plan for the improvement of his life. He made goals and he doesn't give us the specifics. One of the organizations he created was a club for the mutual improvement. It lasted 40 years and there were rules. This opportunity thru this club to discuss ideas learn how to communicate to each other various contending points of doctrine or politics without breaking the group up must have been somewhat difficult but, I guess they adhered to their rules. Ben worked very hard to have his own press and when he was almost going to default on a loan he had friends offer to help him if he would split up with his no good for nothing partner. He refused but instead went to him and said he would give him the business. But, the partner said he was not very good at printing and wanted to go back to farming so he let Ben buy him out and they ended their partnership on good terms.
I wish we could have done the same with our old partnership ended on good terms. It would have saved us years of turmoil and heartache. When Ben was first setting up his business he would let people see him working in the night and then again in the morning when no one else was up. Showing how hard he worked brought him more business. There was a time when he let someone he thought would work for him in on the knowledge that he planned on starting a newspaper. That person told his competition and they started a newspaper. But, Ben put an anonymous article in the other paper against this idea and after a short time he was able to buy the newspaper from the other person. So he turned it around and was persistent in his ideas that did make him money.

Generous and trusting

Benjamin Franklin reminds me of my husband who is generous and trusting. Several times Benjamin was with a friend who had no money and he became their source of financial support not repaying the debt later in life. He had a friend who went to England with him left his wife and child could not find work but, was adulterous and in my opinion a scoundrel. At the end of his relationship with Mr. Franklin he has a feeling of a burden lifted because this friend had lived off his means for 9 months or more but, he describes him thus "I loved him, notwithstanding, for he had many amiable qualities."

My husband has the same loving quality where he looks at a person's good qualities notwithstanding their poor choices. He is loved by all and just today I received an email from a parent of a boy in his quorum who praises him for being in their words ""fun" and warm and interested ". How a good example he is to me on being affable with people and loved by all. He has a power of persuasion for good in people's lives because they respect and like him. It is one thing to be respected by much more difficult to be respected and liked. I might be respected but, defiantly not likes because I am too private.

Benjamin Franklin is very affable and caring of others he stays with an elderly lady and gives her much comfort with his conversations easing her lowliness. He stays there even though he could find lodging closer to his work. He does not speak evil of those who used his money and never returned It. You can tell he cares more about his friendship than about money.

He was so liked and trusted that the gentlemen who was on the boat with him on the way over after 18 months In London hired him to start a mercantile shop back in Philadelphia. Just after that he was found out to be a great swimmer and Sr. William Wyndham wanted to hire him to teach swimming to his boys. He realizes that he could have started his own business of teaching swimming if he had not already decided to be in the mercantile business.

Benjamin on his own and at so young an age brings home the idea that the brain is not fully developed until after age 19 and that youth even though they are talented and resourceful need guidance and protection from those who would take advantage of their youth and inexperience. It is so apparent in Benjamin's life that this is the case but, had his father been more willing to trust him and start a printing shop than he would have avoided some of that. The experience at working at various print shops going to plays and reading lots of different books were valuable experiences in their own right.

Sometimes experiences in life come at a cost and could curb our generosity or our trust in others. However, some choice individuals regardless of negative experiences they have had with others remain generous and trusting. They are noble individuals the type of soul that innervates societies and benefits individuals and influences their circle of influence for good.