About Ben Franklin Virtues
We're dedicated to bringing Benjamin Franklin's timeless self-improvement system to modern life.
Our Mission
In 1726, a 20-year-old Benjamin Franklin embarked on what he called “the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection.” He created a list of 13 virtues and developed a systematic method to practice them daily — tracking his progress, focusing on one virtue per week, and continuously improving over his lifetime.
Nearly 300 years later, Franklin's system remains remarkably relevant. The virtues he identified — Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility — address timeless aspects of human character that transcend any era.
Our mission is to make Franklin's wisdom accessible to everyone. We provide educational content about his virtues and their modern applications, along with an iOS app that digitizes his original tracking system for today's users.
What We Offer
Educational Content
Our blog features in-depth articles about each of Franklin's 13 virtues, his daily routine, his quotes from Poor Richard's Almanack, and practical guides for applying 18th-century wisdom to 21st-century challenges. All content is researched from primary sources including Franklin's Autobiography and historical records.
The Ben Franklin Virtues App
Our free iOS app brings Franklin's virtue tracking system to your iPhone. Features include:
- Daily morning and evening reflection prompts
- Virtue tracking grid based on Franklin's original chart
- Weekly virtue focus that cycles through all 13 virtues
- Progress insights and streak tracking
- Curated quotes from Poor Richard's Almanack
Quotes Collection
Our quotes page features over 50 of Franklin's most insightful sayings from Poor Richard's Almanack, his Autobiography, and other writings — organized by theme with shareable cards.
Why Franklin's System Works
Modern psychology has validated many of Franklin's intuitions. His approach of focusing on one habit at a time, tracking progress daily, and reviewing results weekly aligns with contemporary research on habit formation and behavior change. The virtues themselves map well to modern frameworks like emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral techniques.
Franklin himself admitted he never achieved perfection — but that wasn't the point. As he wrote in his Autobiography: “I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”
Contact Us
Have questions, suggestions, or feedback? We'd love to hear from you. Visit our contact page to get in touch.
Ben Franklin Virtues is an independent project dedicated to educational content about Benjamin Franklin's self-improvement philosophy. We are not affiliated with any Franklin estate, historical society, or academic institution.