Posts tagged Virtues
Self-Improvement Lessons From Ben Franklin
Sep 14th
Ben Franklin was truly an amazing human being. He was a statesman, an inventor, an economist, a philosopher and the list goes on. And of course, he was one of our founding fathers.
Ben Franklin also had a deep desire to make himself a better man than he was the day before. Self-improvement was a lifelong passion for him. We would all do well to emulate him in this regard.
Because he felt he had been irresponsible in his youth, he made four resolutions for being a better person.
1. Live frugally so that he could save enough to repay what he owed to others.
2. Be honest and sincere in every word and action.
3. Be industrious to whatever business he was involved in.
4. To speak ill of no man, “not even in a manner of truth,” and to “speak all the good I know of everybody.”
From these 4 resolutions, Ben Franklin put together an actionable plan. He developed what he called his 12 virtues:
1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
3. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
4. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
5. Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
6. Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
8. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
9. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
10. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
11. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
12. 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
Supposedly, he showed his list and his plan to live by the list to a friend and his friend replied, drily, that Ben seemed to think much of himself and perhaps Ben should add humility to the list. And the 12 virtues become 13.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
He wrote each virtue on a separate page and evaluated his conduct with regard to that virtue on a daily basis. Further, he focused on one virtue each week and practiced at improving his behavior with regard to the virtue for the week.
This is powerful. Hundreds of years ago, Ben Franklin practiced a simple, yet profoundly powerful self-improvement technique that made him a better person, little by little, every day.
And also, his plan for improving himself is a textbook example of planning. His life goal is to live a good life. He began by writing what he wanted to do and be (Stephen Covey’s “begin with the end in mind”) with his 4 resolutions. Then he developed an actionable plan by writing down his virtues with daily and weekly follow-ups.
Absolutely tremendous.
I would highly recommend looking into his life and emulating this great American.
The Pursuit of Happiness – Emotional Intelligence View
Aug 29th
Happiness is a concept so widely discussed and so differently perceived by humans. Most of them think of it as pure hedonism or instant satisfaction. The pleasant sensation one experiences after eating chocolate, drinking a glass of fine wine, winning a prize or having a warm bath might be defined as happiness. But it has a short-term nature. One usually strives to achieve long-time pleasure and gratification that comes with true happiness.
An honest view of yourself and the surrounding world leads to identifying what is truly meaningful and important in your life and capitalizing on those virtues. Thus, filtering the significant aspects and values you can achieve true happiness. The entire process is influenced by one’s emotions. Emotional intelligence certainly contributes to the enhancement of the pursuit of happiness as the persons endowed with such an ability are optimistic, harmonized with their passions and emotionally self-aware.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines happiness as “a state of well-being and contentment” and “a pleasurable or satisfying experience”. This doesn’t restrict the source of happiness to the inner or outer realms. However, most of the people tend to believe that true happiness comes from inside, within. Ed Diener, the happiness-expert psychologist from the University of Illinois, has surveyed numerous persons in order to establish a hierarchy of most important things in humans’ life. Only 6 percent of the surveyed ones around the world have rated money as more important than happiness. 69 % have declared happiness as the most prominent and essential thing in life.
Many have claimed that people who have a more modest condition enjoy more the little things in life, whereas the rich ones tend to take the privileges for granted. The former work their way through hardship to discover how to really appreciate what life has to offer. The example of a rich and prestigious professor has to endorse this assertion. The respective American professor went for the first time to an international conference in Europe to present a scientific paper of his. He was quite excited for being there.
However, a colleague of his showed him what real appreciation of this opportunity meant. The latter was a young professor at a small college in the United States. He came from a working-class family and was the first one to complete university studies. He also traveled to Europe and abroad for the first time and his trip was funded by the college he was working at. His enthusiasm was even more intense due to the fact they were in England and his family originated in Wales, which determined him to retrace the castle that carried his family name. The prestigious professor was invited by the young one to join him in his quest. Arriving there, after difficulties caused by weather conditions and poor directions, the two had to pay for their access fee in spite of the name the young one bore. Nevertheless, he was very happy and touched by the experience he came to live. This proved to the prestigious professor that happiness had more to do with living to the fullest emotions and special opportunities rather than with material possessions.
