Window or Mirror?

“Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its place.”

many definitions removed – over twenty exist)
1. An organized state, with elements arranged properly, neatly, or harmoniously
2. The way in which several items are arranged, as an indication of when each will be dealt with
3. The arrangement of society into groups or classes and the relationships between them Read the rest of this entry »

“Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”

1. The absence or lack of noise
2. A refusal, failure, or inability to speak
3. An absence of notice or acknowledgment of something

• A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words. - Phillips Brooks
• One nice thing about silence is that it cannot be repeated. - Gary Cooper
• It is difficult to keep quiet if you have nothing to do. - Arthur Schopenhauer

In his admonishment, Mr. Franklin seems to concentrate on the “value content” of the words spoken and on the time that can be wasted by idle talk. These are good points, but they are certainly not all the benefits of silence. The refusal to speak when another is probing for gossip, and the avoidance of complaining are two further benefits gained from this virtue. Read the rest of this entry »

“Eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation.”

1. Total abstinence from alcoholic drink
2. Self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire

The text by Franklin covers one of the seven deadly sins (Gluttony) as well as touching on an issue that would become even larger one hundred years later. In the late 1800s, the temperance movement pushed for legislation to prohibit alcoholic beverages. The 18^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on Jan 16, 1919 – prohibiting the use and sale of alcoholic beverages. This same Amendment was repealed in 1933. Read the rest of this entry »

What is virtue? Reason in practice. - J.J. De Chenier

What is virtue? It is to hold yourself to your fullest development as a person and as a responsible member of the human community. - Arthur Dobrin

When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary. - Thomas Paine

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be; and if we observe, we shall find that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them.- Socrates

The goal of this exercise is to relate the basic virtues, simply, in written form – in order to more frequently and fully apply the virtues in daily life – and to drive out character faults on as frequent a basis. Read the rest of this entry »

Yeah, I said it. It turns out that when we investigate the cause, the “reason” behind a woman’s decision to abort, the highest number of women (over 38%) state a response to pressure from a husband or a boyfriend. A man’s mere presence can influence a decision as well. If a woman’s partner is present but unsupportive, she is at four times greater risk of choosing an abortion than if he is present and supportive. If the partner is absent, she is at six times greater risk. But these are only “response” metrics, what about men and their actions before pregnancy are responsible for this? Read the rest of this entry »