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Entries tagged "Wrestling with Franklin"

July 23, 2017 Death in your pocket I’ve been trying to summarize what has been running around and around in my head for the last year. I’ve been thinking about death and dying and November 22, 2016 I Think I Can Help “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret April 13, 2016 Project Managing Virtue I try remarkably hard to Get Stuff Done. Like so hard that I project manage my life. Like hard enough that I intermingle my Work goal planning and April 28, 2015 Silence, The Sequel I completed the Round 2 of Silence with only a few observations: I feel like I’ve got it down pretty well. I’ve always been a pretty quiet dude. I April 18, 2015 Temperance, take 2 My views on Temperance haven’t changed much with tis second round. It is obvious to me why Franklin listed it first in the line of virtues. All April 7, 2015 Three Months Down, My Whole Life To Go I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish’d to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer April 5, 2015 Applied Humility And lastly, his great Resignation and Humility in acknowledging the Just Censure passed on his Essay, joined to his hearty Repentance, as well for March 28, 2015 Humility So. First: it’s been a busy week. Deadlines at work, stress keeping me from sleeping well, bad moods. I’ve neither been virtuous nor particularly March 23, 2015 Moral Relativism Chastity is sexual behavior of a man or woman that is acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of their culture, civilization or religion. March 19, 2015 How Not to Chastity If you will not take this Counsel, and persist in thinking a Commerce with the Sex inevitable, then I repeat my former Advice, that in all your March 16, 2015 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. This is March 10, 2015 Tranquility Be not disturbed at Trifles, or at Accidents common or unavoidable. Tranquility is the lost art of mindlessness, if detachment, of letting going March 7, 2015 Finite Lost Time is lost Subsistence; it is therefore lost Treasure. - Benjamin Franklin in a contribution to a pamphlet on the Principles of Trade. March 5, 2015 Justice and Moderation Grids Lookie here, grids! Friday was the day Alyska and I got married and we went to our favorite bar and the bartender was very very nice March 3, 2015 Colonial Drunk Texting. If you’re going to abuse one virtue, can you couch it successful usabe of another? In reading through Franklin’s letters tonight, I found a rather March 2, 2015 Cleanliness “Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.” Benjamin Franklin was probably a pretty stinky, grimy man. If you’ve ever worked with February 28, 2015 Applied moderation Hot cognition is Psychological concept regarding reasoning where a person’s thinking is influenced by their emotional state (1). Hot cognition is February 24, 2015 Moderation Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. Franklin’s moderation is more inclusive than what we consider it to February 22, 2015 Box of Justice My primary view of justice this week was through my lens as a manager. I’ve been a manager at work for nearly 9 years now and only now are some February 16, 2015 Justice In the previous weeks, I have routinely asked myself the coming virtues were to better gauge my adherence to them leading to their specific weeks. I February 14, 2015 Bounds for Sincerity When Franklin considered his own virtuous achievements in his autobiography, he only mentioned Order as particularly vexing, “Order, too, with February 9, 2015 Sincerity Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly (1). Sincerity today is used more to mean “earnestness” February 8, 2015 Industry ’n Frugality and Checking in on all this Virtue Grids for Frugality and Industry. Fitting that both I remember to post the previous forgotten one in my week of “be always employ’d” but also that February 8, 2015 Industry ’n Frugality and Checking in on all this Virtue Grids for Frugality and Industry. Fitting that both I remember to post the previous forgotten one in my week of “be always employ’d” but also that February 7, 2015 On Busyness I have been busy at work. Right now I have twelve people on my team. I meet with them for at least 30 minutes every week which requires preparation February 4, 2015 Time Is Money Is In all my reading in Industriousness and work ethics the last few days and weeks, I found the Time is Money origin. It seems that pretty much every February 4, 2015 Time Is Money Is In all my reading in Industriousness and work ethics the last few days and weeks, I found the Time is Money origin. It seems that pretty much every February 3, 2015 Industry Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. The modern equivalent to Franklin’s virtue of Industry is February 3, 2015 Updated list of Virtues I updated my List of Virtues with the last three weeks of edicts. This list is getting pretty long and its good to review them on occasion. I am January 25, 2015 Frugality Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i. e., waste nothing. How do you define good when you’re talking about spending money? Is January 24, 2015 Where Resolve goes to Die The order of the virtues is purposeful. Maintaining temperance helps keep the mind sharp and aware of what you’re doing. Eating too much, especially January 18, 2015 A Week on Order He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night. Poor Richard’s Almanack When I do not hydrate enough, January 18, 2015 A Week on Order He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night. Poor Richard’s Almanack When I do not hydrate enough, January 14, 2015 The Original GTDer The precept of Order requiring that every part of my business should have its allotted time, one page in my little book contain’d the following January 12, 2015 Order Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. With the above quote began the foundation for all January 11, 2015 A Week on Silence I am a quiet person. Solitude in a well-controlled environment is important to me; but I have never attempted to use silence in a beneficial way. January 10, 2015 Virtue ≠ Piety Morality does not require religion. Morality is not dependent on sort of spiritual belief. Morality is not piety, or a devotion to goodness, as a January 7, 2015 Silence in Colonial Culture As an introvert, I implicitly understand the utility of and need for silence. Silence is how introverts recharge in a brash world. But trying to January 4, 2015 Pile ’o Edicts It behooves me to track my growing list of edicts as I progress; so, I have added a dedicated navigation link above so you can track them too. And January 4, 2015 Silence Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. This virtue is not about quietude or vowing to never speak again. January 3, 2015 My first week Wrestling with Franklin I’m focusing on temperance as that was the idea - focus on one a week for 13 weeks. I clearly have issues with Frugality and Industry but there will January 1, 2015 Definitions: A little Philosophizing I think it behooves me to list some definitions. Exploring virtue and morality requires understanding what those concepts mean. The definitions can December 31, 2014 Drinking is Awesome I offer this as proof that drinking is amazing. The Moral and Physical Thermometer concept was first published in the early 1800s - specific December 26, 2014 Plan for Attaining Moral Perfection Here will I hold. If there’s a power above us (And that there is, all nature cries aloud Thro’ all her works), He must delight in virtue; And that