The Autobiography

1. The Autobiography Benjamin Franklin

2. virtueSource: Merriam-Webster Dictionary • a conformity to a standard of right: morality • a particular moral excellence • a beneficial quality or power of a thing • manly strength or courage: valor • a commendable quality or trait: merit • a capacity to act: potency

3. preceptSource: Merriam-Webster Dictionary • a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action • an order issued by legally constituted authority to a subordinate official

4. Ben Franklin’s List of Virtues • Temperance • Silence • Order • Resolution • Frugality • Industry • Sincerity • Justice • Moderation • Cleanliness • Tranquility • Chastity • Humility

5. Temperance • Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation

6. Silence • Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

7. Order • Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

8. Resolution • Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

9. Frugality • Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

10. Industry • Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

11. Sincerity • Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly.

12. Justice • Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

13. Moderation • Avoid extremes; forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

14. Cleanliness • Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

15. Tranquility • Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

16. 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.

17. Humility • Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

18. Humility Humble (noun) Humiliate (verb) To reduce to a lower position in one’s own eyes or others’ eyes • Not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive • Reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission • Ranking low in hierarchy or scale • Not costly

19. Keeping track • Created a chart to track success with cultivating good virtues (habits). • Worked on one per week – a thirteen week cycle • Could complete four cycles/year • Ordered them so that each virtue would help him succeed with the following virtues.

20. Anecdote • Weeding a garden Illustrates that it is easier to work on one garden bed at a time, rather than tackle all the weeds at once. He choose to tackle one virtue a week, rather than all 13 at the same time.

21. Daily Schedule • To help with order, he created a daily schedule

22. Order • Most trouble to accomplish • Trouble with schedule: • Most of his business did not rely on a routine day, but depended on the schedule of others • He conducted much of his business overseas • Trouble with papers and things: • Not in the habit of organizing things • In youth had a good memory, to it was not that important

23. Anecdote of the “Speckled Ax” • Man wanted the face of his ax to be as bright as the edge • Took to a grinder who said he would hold the ax while the owner turned the grinding stone • After a while, the owner tired of the turning and decided that although the face of the ax was not entirely bright, a speckled ax was ok

24. Meaning of Anecdote • Ben Franklin pokes fun at himself. He has set goals that are difficult to perfect. • He will settle for being improved, not perfect. • States that he would look ridiculous (like a “fop” if he were perfect.

25. Franklin states: • Even though he did not succeed with his original plan, he is a better man for having undertaken this plan

26. More details: • He wrote this when he was 79 years old • He shared his wisdom with his posterity – his children and future generations

27. What did he gain by cultivating these virtues? • Temperance • Good health and a good constitution • Industry and Frugality • The early easiness of his circumstances [he retired from his printing business at 42] • Acquisition of his fortune [he became a wealthy man] • Knowledge that enabled him to be a useful citizen • A reputation among the learned

28. What did he gain by cultivating these virtues? cont. • Sincerity and Justice • The confidence of his country and jobs that required that confidence • All of the virtues: • An even temper • Cheerfulness • Good conversationalist • Agreeable to youth

29. “I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.” Benjamin Franklin