In Benjamin Franklin's "The Autobiography", he explains that he wishes to be morally perfect. If humans exemplified silence, order, humility, among others through their actions they could become successful and morally perfect. He believed that if one achieved all 13 virtues described in his autobiography then they would reach perfection. If I were to follow Franklins plan for perfection I would pick order, silence,
Franklin describes silence as "speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoiding trifling conversation." This means one should not say something unless it is intelligent and meaningful. One should not gossip nor talk just because you can. This is an important virtue to acquire because not only does it benefit yourself it also benefits those around you. Avoiding gossip and meaningless drivel makes a less of a chance fore the people you are talking to take umbrage, making them happier. It makes me feel better when my friends are happy.
An illustration from Franklin's paper on "Water-sp...
Benjamin Franklin 1767
This (attributed to ) originally appeared during t...Also talking about prattle and gossip can leave one with a terrible reputation that can come with terrible consequences, such as loosing your friends. Having your words be meaningful and profound can have beneficial outcomes and avoid "sticky situations".
Another useful virtue is order. Franklin describes order as "let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time." This means to be organized and structure and to be on top of all your affairs and responsibilities. One should also have well planed set goals. This is all about time management skills, which is something I am lacking. I do everything at the last possible second. If I followed Franklins order virtues, I could be on top of my work and not be rushing to finish everything last minute. This way I would have more time to do the...