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I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years

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Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years

#11

Post by Tokkemon »

cholantesh wrote: post #8
leephillips wrote: post #4

D.H. Lawrence's take on Franklin's virtues is immortal: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/lewiss/lawrence.htm My high school English teacher, Frank McCourt, used to love reading this out loud.

The Frank McCourt? Angela's Ashes Frank McCourt?

Well he did teach English. At Stuyvessant if I recall correctly.

Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years

#12

Post by mfoy_ »

leephillips wrote: post #4

D.H. Lawrence's take on Franklin's virtues is immortal: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/lewiss/lawrence.htm My high school English teacher, Frank McCourt, used to love reading this out loud.

Enjoyed this much better than the actual linked article.

I love Lawrence's take on the thirteen. While I don't agree with them all in their entirety, he makes some really deep, visceral, and compelling points about the human experience.

Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years

#13

Post by leephillips »

cholantesh wrote: post #8
leephillips wrote: post #4

D.H. Lawrence's take on Franklin's virtues is immortal: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/lewiss/lawrence.htm My high school English teacher, Frank McCourt, used to love reading this out loud.

The Frank McCourt? Angela's Ashes Frank McCourt?

Yes, every semester for 2.5 years while at Stuyvesant H.S.

I remember his voice clearly, when he paused and said, "I do not like him."

Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years

#16

Post by emodendroket »

smaddox wrote: post #7
emodendroket wrote: post #5

I'm sorry but it's very hard for me to take seriously Ben Franklin's exhortations to chastity and temperance. I guess he had some awareness of this given his famous dialogue with gout. http://www.bartleby.com/109/3.html

I doubt Ben took them seriously. He's well known for having fabricated popular stories on slow publication weeks/months. This was likely his form of click-bate.

I mean the list of virtues is very typical of this era in America anyway, to be fair to Ben Franklin. I doubt a lot of thought went into it.

Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years

#17

Post by emodendroket »

leephillips wrote: post #4

D.H. Lawrence's take on Franklin's virtues is immortal: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/lewiss/lawrence.htm My high school English teacher, Frank McCourt, used to love reading this out loud.

I don't know; to me this is grating in its own way.

Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years

#19

Post by irrational »

The first thing that came to mind when reading the list:

1. TEMPERANCE Hara Hachi Bu

2. SILENCE It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

3. ORDER This would be my wife's number 1. She abhors clutter.

4. RESOLUTION Why is this called resolution instead of honesty?

5. FRUGALITY Avoid debt I guess.

6. INDUSTRY Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.

7. SINCERITY Not sure about this one. Don't be deceitful?

8. JUSTICE I should receive compensation for my work. I shouldn't receive compensation for work that I don't do. If I break a law I should receive the corresponding penalty. If I don't break a law I should not be penalized.

9. MODERATION How is this different than temperance?

10. CLEANLINESS Take a shower once in awhile.

11. TRANQUILLITY Don't be an asshole?

12. CHASTITY Get checked for STIs on a regular basis.

13. HUMILITY Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.

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