166
" These names of virtues, with their precepts, were: 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 employ’d 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.CLEANLINES.—Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloths, or habitation. 11.TRANQUILLITY.—Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. 12.CHASTITY.—Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. 13.HUMILITY.—Imitate Jesus and Socrates. "
― Benjamin Franklin , The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
174
" As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employ'd in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. "
― Benjamin Franklin , The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
176
" And being then, from reading Shaftesbury and Collins, become a real doubter in many points of our religious doctrine, I found this method safest for myself and very embarrassing to those against whom I used it; therefore I took a delight in it, practiced it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing people, even of superior knowledge, into concessions, the consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved. "
― Benjamin Franklin , The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin