I'm just curious if they practiced that 'chastity' one... cause 'no thanks' lol
I never practiced this because I didn't feel it very helpful. I wish I had more insight into why Ben Franklin thought this was important.
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
#22The 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 persp…
>12. CHASTITY Get checked for STIs on a regular basis.
I think that even in a modern context you are setting the bar a little low there. But good for you for getting regular check-ups!
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
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."
What was it like having him as a teacher? His writings portray him as deeply passionate about the field & a very genuine human being; I'd be interested to know how your experience compared.
Also, I'm incredibly jealous.
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#24The submission should be titled, "How I have been practicing Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years"
I went to the article to see why the author had stopped, thinking I'd learn something about such systems (leephillips' comment sheds more on this question).
The author interestingly describes how he followed such a process but doesn't really get into the benefits or drawbacks and it sounds like he is continuing.
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#25If you're interested in something like this, but something that seems a lot more "applicable", try to do sentence completions according to this book. It's one of the best books I have ever read, and I don't say that lightly. Every person I recommend it to instantly is blown away.
https://www.amazon.com/Six-Pillars-Self-Esteem-Nathaniel-Bra...
He talks about sentence completions in there. I've been doing them and just a few days of doing them I've already made major changes that I haven't been able to make with "just" mind and willpower. It's like it somehow digs up stuff out of your subconscious and lets it go.
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#26I'm just curious if they practiced that 'chastity' one... cause 'no thanks' lol
I never practiced this because I didn't feel it very helpful. I wish I had more insight into why Ben Franklin thought this was important.
> I wish I had more insight into why Ben Franklin thought this was important.
Perhaps you would if you'd tried it :)
But really, doesn't this point boil down to: don't act like a sex addict, and avoid stirring up a bunch of drama?
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#27Just a note on Bushido: Although I'm sure such codes can be useful to people, it's essentially bullcrap got used to fuel Japan's rise of fascism.
https://www.tofugu.com/japan/bushido/
I particularly loathe the term as I've heard it used by more than one desperate "white knight" who doesn't practice a single bit of it but uses it to appear virtuous. Whenever I hear someone mention "bushido", my first instinct is to assume they don't know what they're talking about.
I think it's fine to espouse the ideology if one actually takes it seriously and understands the history(or lack thereof). Sadly, it seems more often to be used as a seemingly non-denominational form of code to be adopted by those trying to mask their own lack of virtue. Then again, it's probably more effective to adopt parts of different ideologies you find useful rather than taint yourself with a name like Bushido.
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#28I'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 look at it the other way around: the reason these were so important to Franklin was that he knew perfectly well how bad he was at them.
Somewhere along the line we've conflated valuing virtue with already being virtuous. The hypocrisy of most "moral movements" doesn't help, of course.
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#29D.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.
I think anyone who tries can make their own seemingly compelling points about the human experience. We all live a human experience. And it's easy to make proclamations and virtues and tell yourself how you're going to live. It's a different animal to try and live by them.
Re: I practiced Ben Franklin's 13 virtue system for 3 years
#30What a small world. I was looking at purchasing the Walter Issac's Ben Franklin book from Audible yesterday. I remember seeing a Discovery documentary about him a few years back and found Ben to be fascinating (before that documentary, he was the guy who flew a kite).
I do know that after a while he did do away with his 13 virtues since many of then conflicted with each other (after all, the dude was a ladies man). I guess its a decent experiment to try, but I think its over doing it to have it as your way of life (well 13 virtues anyway).
I do like the virtue of being Proactive and Silence. Maybe I should practice them for a week.