Benjamin Franklin was a prolific writer and thinker. He was a scientist, inventor, politician and diplomat. In 1727, he wrote an autobiography that detailed his life from birth until 1757 when he was 40 years old.
In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin detailed how he exercised his use of the virtues. He did so by allocating a certain amount of time each day to thinking about how he could improve himself in each virtue.
Benjamin would devote time to improving himself in temperance by avoiding strong drink, in frugality by saving money, and in industry by working hard. He also made it a point to practice humility every day by not being prideful or arrogant in his actions.
Franklin would wake up early and read for two hours every morning. Following this, he would write in his diary. He would then spend some time working on any projects that were due that day. After this, he would spend three hours reading and studying, followed by an hour of exercise outside (usually walking). Finally, he would spend another hour reading before going to bed.
Moreover, Franklin wrote that he was able to write this book because he had lived a virtuous life. He believed that there were only two ways of living: “Either without God or with Him.” If someone did not live their life according to God’s will, then they would be punished for their sins in the afterlife (Tuck). Franklin believed that it was important to set aside time each day for self-improvement and reflection because we need to be constantly improving ourselves if we want to achieve greatness in our lives.
