Window or Mirror?

“Be not disturbed at trifles; or at accidents common or unavoidable.”

1. Free of any disturbance or commotion
2. Showing no signs of anxiety or agitation
3. A state of peace and calm

Anger blows out the lamp of the mind. In the examination of a great and important question, every one should be serene, slow-pulsed, and calm.- Ingersoll

It is easier to forgive an enemy than a friend.- Mme. Dorothee Deluzy

Good-humor is goodness and wisdom combined - Owen Meredith

“Let your occupations be few”, says the sage, “if you would lead a tranquil life”. By a tranquil mind I mean nothing else than a mind well ordered.- Marcus Aurelius Antonius

Franklin’s words are summarized by a late 20^th century American colloquialism, “Chill out”. This phrase means that we should take it easy, cool down, don’t take things so seriously. Read the rest of this entry »

“Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or in habitation.”

1. The degree to which somebody keeps clean or a place is kept clean

More often than not, things and people are as they appear. - Malcolm Forbes

Cleanliness is the luxury of the poor - Mexican Proverb

What separates two people most profoundly is a different sense and degree of cleanliness. - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Moral, like physical, cleanliness is not acquired once and for all: it can only be kept and renewed by a habit of constant watchfulness and discipline. - Victoria Ocampo

This was obviously a key character trait to the fastidious Franklin, but what can it possible mean to us today? Should we remain clean, with everything in good order, so that we can appear to the rest of humanity as people who are “sorted out”? What are my reasons for handing this “virtue status”? Read the rest of this entry »

“Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.”

1. The state in which something remains moderate rather than becoming extreme or excessive

The true boundary of man is moderation. When once we pass that pale, our guardian angel quits his charge of us. - Owen Feltham

In moderating, not in satisfying desires, lies peace. - Reginald Heber

Franklin’s words bring to life a dimension of this virtue that is not commonly considered; the idea that emotion should be moderated. There is a point at which almost every thought or action becomes unhealthy, and the virtuous person will seek to define that “tipping point”, and then remain firmly on the fair side of it. Read the rest of this entry »

“Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.”

(two of seven definitions)
1. Fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or decisions are made
2. Sound or good reason

Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him. - Thomas Aquinas

The aim of justice is to give everyone his due. - Cicero

Most everyone wants to do what’s fair, right, and good, but knowing what is often the tough part. - Malcolm Forbes

No cause is hopeless if it is just. Errors, no matter how popular, carry the seeds of their own destruction. - John W. Scoville

Many people define justice as, “Being fair when something comes up”. That is, in reaction, to be unjust is a sin of commission. Franklin’s statement clearly conveys the concept that a sin of omission also exists; not executing your duties justly (or fully). Read the rest of this entry »

“Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly. And, if you speak, speak accordingly.”

1. Honesty and genuineness: honesty in the expression of true or deep feelings

The first virtue of really great men is that they are sincere. They eradicate hypocrisy from their hearts. They bravely unveil their weaknesses, their doubts, their defects… - Anatole France

Sincerity is impossible unless it pervades the whole being, and the pretense of it saps the very foundation of character. - James Russell Lowell

He who is sincere has the easiest task in the world, for, truth being always consistent with itself, he is put to no trouble about his words and actions; it is like traveling on a plain road, which is sure to bring you to your journey’s end better than byways in which many lose themselves. - John Tillotson

To this point we have run on reason, and full steam ahead. Here we find that the ship of character will run aground without strong emotional content. Sincerity goes beyond honesty and implies the manner in which we should render truth to ourselves and our fellow man. Read the rest of this entry »