The Thirteen Virtues Of Benjamin Franklin's Life

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “no gains without pains.” Likewise was his bold and daring task to achieve the impossible; moral perfection. Through much thought, he complied together thirteen virtues that, he believed would guarantee perfection. Even though he was never totally without fault, as a result of his efforts, his life was ultimately made better. Because of his virtue of frugality, Franklin’s finances flourished. To Franklin, practicing frugality meant “Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.” This meaning, he only planned on spending his money on necessities for himself and others. This eliminated much wastefulness, while it also helped him save up. The money he was able to save up gave him

Devotion to temperance, was the devotion of practicing self-control when around food and drink, or “eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.” Not only would this have rendered him more alert and aware, it also would allow him to stay focused on his other twelve virtues. Also, it provided good life habits for him to follow. For these reasons, Franklin lived a well and fruitful life. For the reason that Franklin followed thirteen virtues combined, he ultimately became a better and more useful citizen. That being the case, his practice of industry was the specifically the most helpful to society. Because he didn’t waste his time, he became one of the most renowned inventors in the world. His scientific findings and inventions are still used to this day. If Franklin had dedicated himself to practicing industry, America would be much different today. Lastly and arguably the most substantial benefit of Franklin’s virtues was the trust he gained from America. Today, he is remembered today for his literary, governmental, and scientific influence in America. Through hard work, he became one of America’s founding fathers and will always be remembered as a hero. This is because of his steadfast trials of following thirteen virtues in hopes of becoming a morally perfect