Good luck following them. Frankin's Virtues 1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation. 2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation. 3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time. 4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve. 5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing. 6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly. 8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation. 11. 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. 12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. 13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Need to add: #14. Infedelity: Leaving your wife in America for several years, live with a woman in England, and date her young daughter.
“I rise early almost every morning and sit in my chamber, without any clothes whatever, half an hour or an hour, according to the season, either reading or writing.” --Ben Franklin Franklin used to take "air baths," where he would open all the windows and walk around in the buff, spreading limbs so that air got to all the creases. There are several reports of founding fathers walking around Philly who saw Ben in all his glory standing at the open window. He would do this even on cold days in winter. I know he would be against defecation and urination during air baths.
Sad but True Actually the reason I drug up the Zombie Thread is because I have it in my favorites and like to Review it from time to time Everyone needs a measure of themselves and I like to look over these and see where I can improve This list seems so simple. . . but life is not Rocket River
I probably live by most of these rules since the last two years. Many of my friends call me a Western ascetic.
Dude, are you kidding me...for health or offspring...There is no way I can do this...ok, i digress...
Funny this topic came up because one of my collegues and I were talking about our founding fathers and how smart they were. True intellectuals and philosophers. Ben Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Washington and so on. Now compare that to who is running our country now. GW, Cheney, Frist, and so on. When did requiring intelligence in our leaders go out of style?
perhaps we have morphed into society of greed and desire, but that's not what this country was founded on. and although quite noble, following all 13 precisely seems near impossible.... which isn't saying you shouldn't strive to. we're all human.
Target needs a fact checker if anyone is interested? http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...759372-9238550?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B0009KV4V0
I don't know if there is an expectation that one would be able to faithfully adhere to them all, but that it is an ideal to strive toward. It is interesting to see a thoughtful list of humanist virtue.
