MSLD634.A634.6.3.RB.BURNS.MELISSA
Benjamin Franklin's self-improvement program included 13 virtues that he felt were important guides for living along with principles for each that would, in his opinion, define a person of good character. He developed a scorecard for evaluating how well he measured up to his own ideals. Throughout his life, Franklin tried to live by these virtues though not always successfully.
Review Ben's 13 Virtues (PBS) and take the Virtue Quiz (PBS) to find out how you measure up against Franklin's virtues.
Select three of Franklin's virtues and reflect upon them in your blog. Ask yourself, how can I include them in my daily life?
Ben Franklin's Virtues
Melissa Burns
After taking the virtue quiz I was given 4 areas of improvement to work on including: temperance, order, sincerity and tranquility. For the purposes of this blog I will discuss how I can apply order, sincerity and tranquility in my life as defined by Ben Franklin’s virtues. First, let’s see how Ben defined them (PBS.org, n.d.):
“Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly.
Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.”
In the context of 2020 these are put into perspective by the quiz as follows (PBS.org, n.d.):
“Order: Ben followed the maxim ‘a place for everything and everything in its place.’ It may be time to clean out the backseat of that car of yours.
Sincerity: Ben would support the saying, ‘He who lives in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’. Rather than participating in potentially harmful gossip, try talking about ideas more and other people less.
Tranquility: Ben didn’t sweat the small stuff. Think about what’s REALLY important to you in life, and worry less about the smaller annoyances.
When considering virtues, I look to our text and the practice of “doing so habitually (regularly and in a variety of circumstances) (LaFollette, 2007)” stands out to me as significant and applicable in my daily life. I tried to answer honestly in the virtue quiz and while I knew what the ‘most virtuous’ answer was for each question, I also know myself and that I do not always make the most virtuous decision every time. I know that I can be more organized and less lazy by cleaning out my car or doing the dishes more frequently, but my time management is compressed with kids and often times I would rather just do it later even though it will be a bigger job if I don’t do it right now. I know that when someone is gossiping, I should not participate, but part of me wants to be in on the conversation and my curiosity can get the better of me. I try to let the small stuff slide, but sometimes I do get frustrated with myself for rushing or being accident prone or being forgetful (usually due to lack of sleep). There always seems to be an excuse when I make a decision that is not the most virtuous and I am always weighing the risk vs. reward and the consequences of each decision. How can I do better?
As a pilot we are taught about hazardous attitudes and the antidote to combat each one. I feel like I can take a similar approach to applying these virtues in my life.
To apply order in my life, I need to work on my time management. I find that when tasks pile up I tend to get overwhelmed and end up getting even less done. By working on time management I can tackle one task at a time and choose in the moment to complete that task and this will help to reduce my workload and my stress.
To apply sincerity in my life, I need to be more empathetic to the circumstances of others. The golden rule can be applied here, but with the Brandan Schultz twist on words, “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them (Schultz, 2015).” Focus on equity or fairness rather than on equality (Schultz, 2015). Rather than following the selfish urge to gossip and join in on a conversation about another person, I should think how that person would feel if they could hear what we were saying and act accordingly.
To apply tranquility in my life I need to be more forgiving of my own imperfections. When I am trying to get out the door to get my daughter to school on time with a newborn, I need to slow down and be ok with running a few minutes late. If I forget the name of something or what I was trying to tell someone due to sleep deprivation and having 2 babies, I need to be OK with that and understand that it is not because I am somehow inadequate, I am just tired due to my circumstances of being a mom of 2 babies. The world has changed in 2020 and it is teaching everyone to slow down and to focus on what truly matters. I believe that tranquility is a virtue that can help us to get through the day to day by focusing on the ‘now’ and not stressing about the things that we cannot change or control.
References
LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics . Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
PBS.org, (n.d.). Ben’s 13 Virtues. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/pop_virtues_list.html
Schulz, B. (2015). The Trouble with the Golden Rule. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/4-BYhAcabZk
Appendix A
(PBS.org, n.d.)
Appendix B
(PBS.org, n.d.)
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