Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Benjamin Franklin's Virtues modernised

These are the Virtues of Ben Franklin. I am reading his autobiography at the moment, so I have developed a bit of an interest. The virtues are looking a bit old at this stage, so I figured I would try to put a more modern line to them.


  • Temperance: Don't make a pig of yourself with food or drink. This is still good advice. It works as it is.
  • Silence: This seems to say that small talk is a bad idea. I don't think so. Sure getting to the point when there is business to be done is good, but chatting is underestimated as a social glue.
  • Order: Keep your stuff tidy. This is fine too, but it is worth keeping in mind that this needs to be applied to digital artefacts now as well as the 'tidy your room variety'. This seems like a good way to tackle this in general. Albeit it with a bit more detail that Franklin put in there.
  • Resolution: Make and keep promises to do the stuff that matters. This man has plenty to say about that too. 
  • Frugality: I am on board with this. Today this also serves the environment by cutting down unnecessary consumption.
  • Industry: Work hard. Fine as it is. I could probably do this a bit more.
  • Sincerity: I think this one can be bundled in with Resolution. Not to lessen either of them. But be a fair dealer is the point of both of them.
  • Justice: Same again. 
  • Moderation: This is like temperance. In fact temperance could go and this one could be broadened to apply to all things. 
  • Cleanliness: Goes with order.
  • Tranquility: Sounds nice, but I am not sure I would place it as a virtue.
  • Chastity: He takes this one a bit far - only for making babies? 
  • Humility: Imitating Jesus sounds like a fine idea, but his current representatives have ruined this for me. Or maybe I just became an atheist and can't go for this any more. Either way, I can leave this one out and not be bothered. 


So:
Don't be a glutton, deal fairly with people, work hard, keep your stuff tidy and don't be wasteful are the main take aways from this.

No comments:

Post a Comment