Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues - The Original Self-Improvement System

In 1726, at age 20, Benjamin Franklin created a systematic approach to moral self-improvement. He identified 13 virtues essential for living a good life and developed a method to practice them daily. This system, documented in his Autobiography, became one of the earliest recorded self-improvement programs in American history.

The Complete List of Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes or habitation.
11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Franklin focused on one virtue per week, cycling through all thirteen in about three months. He would mark his faults each day in a small book, striving for fewer marks each cycle. He admitted he never achieved perfection, but the attempt made him a better and happier person.