From Ben Franklin’s The Autobiography (p. 80 – 83)
Write a well-developed paragraph in response to the following questions.
1. Explain what was involved in Franklin’s plan for self-perfection? What conclusion did Franklin come to regarding the effectiveness of this plan?
Franklin’s plan for self-perfection was to follow thirteen virtues and rid his vices. He practiced one virtue at a time until he mastered it. He took a week to perfect himself with that virtue. Once he mastered a virtue, he moved on to the next. Eventually, he would be able to practice them all at once and achieve moral perfection. He carried around a book in which his virtues were written, and cataloged his progress. He came to the conclusion that following these virtues was harder than expected. He didn’t master all of them, as he expected, but he did feel like a better man for trying.
2. Do you feel that a plan such as Franklin’s would improve you as a person? Why or why not? What would be your top five virtues?
His plan may help me as a person if I try my hardest to follow them every day. Although, I feel that that I would end up getting frustrated if I failed to follow a virtue. I would most likely give up after a while, like Franklin. My top five virtues are Silence, Order, Justice, Sincerity, and Humility. They seem to be the virtues that apply to my life the most.
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