As you read the following excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography highlight any key ideas in the section. If you choose, you can take notes of that section in the second column.
Excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography
1. It was about this time that I conceiv’d the bold and arduous (difficult) Project of arriving at moral Perfection. I wish to live without committing any Fault at any time; I would conquer (win) all that either Natural Inclination (habit), Custom, or Company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a Task of more Difficulty than I had imagined….
2. In the various enumerations (lists) of the moral Virtues (good qualities) I had with in my Reading, I found the Catalog more or less numerous…. ...and I included under Thirteen Names of Virtues all that at that time occurred to me as necessary or desirable, and annexed (added) to each a short Precept (rule), which fully express’d the extent I gave to its Meaning.
3. These Names of Virtues with their Precepts were:
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 (promist) to perform (do) 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 (lying); think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly (in the same way).
JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting (leaving out) the benefits that are your duty.
MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve (do not blow things out of proportion).
CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
TRANQUILITY. Be not disturbed at trifles (little things), 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.
4. My Intention (plan) being to acquire the Habitude of all these Virtues, I judged it would be well not to distract my Attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time, and when I should be Master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on till I should have gone thro’ the thirteen….
5. I determined to give a Week’s strict Attention to each of the Virtues successively (one after the other)....
6. I entered upon the execution of this Plan for Self examination, and continued it with occasional Intermissions (short breaks) for some time. I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of Faults than I had imagined, but I had the Satisfaction of seeing them diminish (decrease).
…on the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor (attempt), a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it…..
