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Who better to assuage your ethical meltdown than the man who invented bifocals?
Clarifying Your Values
Ben Franklin’s exercise for those in moral peril
At some point during high school, I was forced to read the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Although undeniably self-indulgent and conveniently incomplete — he did leave out the bit where he abandoned his sick wife on another continent for nearly two decades — this work is nonetheless regarded as one of the most influential American biographies.
This book changed my life in a way that was as annoying to my stubborn teenage sensibilities as it was illuminating. It presented a practical path to self-improvement in a way that didn’t involve a payment plan or a one-on-one session with the possibility of free golf clubs. This was a rarity in my town of multi-level marketing schemes, Botox, and cults of personality (if you haven’t guessed it already, Los Angeles). It was something I could start right then, and after continuing this practice for over ten years, I can’t recommend it enough.
On Moral Perfection
In Section 9, Ben lists thirteen values he considers necessary in his “Plan for Attaining Moral Perfection”:
TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not…
