Was Franklin Successful in Becoming a Better Person by Implementing His Virtues?

                  Franklin was a man of many accomplishments.  He was man who went from rags to riches and drove through hardships to get there. He was an eloquent philosopher, full of ideas to better society and the rest of the world. He was an inventor, who did his best to leave his mark in this vast universe. Franklin, the kind hearted man that he was, felt obligated to continue these feats. In attempt to better his own self, he overcame his pride and completed one of his most influential accomplishments:  The Thirteen Virtues. These virtues spelled out how one should live one’s life, and Franklin followed them closely, even going as far as to develop an elite system to keep himself from straying away from his well-developed morals. Choosing to correct one’s own moral is a brave and difficult thing to do, and society still wonders today if Franklin was successful in becoming a better person by implementing these virtues.  The answer to this question can be seen throughout literature. From the success and cleverness of Franklin’s system mention in his autobiography, and  from  words of continued praise seen in Tuckerman’s essay“ Franklin’s Character”, it is easy to see that Franklin was not only a good moraled man, but also a consistent one, all because he chose to take a stand and follow a set of virtues that he created.                                                                                 

                Standing up and pointing out one’s own wrongs  is one of the most toilsome things a man can do, but Benjamin Franklin took on this inner odyssey with humbleness and determination. The key to Franklin’s success in becoming a better person was in the method he used to keep his virtues. In his autobiography, Franklin says that he decided to take the virtues one at a time, rather than take them all on to himself together (Franklin).  One can infer that the separation of the virtues is what made him successful. However, Franklin continues in making his method even more auspicious. He describes how he made a weekly chart of his wrongdoings, and to keep track he said, “I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day,” (Franklin 85).He recorded his every wrong,  and refused to move on to another virtue until he had fully mastered the one before. Since it is known that Franklin completed this process many times, it is safe to say that Franklin successfully mastered each virtue.  As Franklin continued this process, he began to see the results. In his Autobiography, he said, “I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish,” when referring to the black dots that were representations of his wrongs (Franklin 88). Franklin goes on to describe the rewards he reaped while following his system. After mastering Humbleness, Franklin said, “ I soon found the advantage of this change in my manner; the conversations I engag’d in went on more pleasantly, The modest way in which I propos’d my opinion s procur’d them a readier reception,” (Franklin 91).  He also mentioned noticing how his influence in councils increased ( Franklin). Franklin finally stated that he believed he had become a better person by strictly following his virtues: “I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it,” (Franklin 89).                                                                                                 

                 Tuckerman further supports the idea that Franklin made himself a better man. By his continued praise, it is very clear that Franklin went above and beyond. “ If we compare the life of Franklin, as a whole, with that of other renowned philosophers, we find that the isolated self-devotion, the egotism and vanity, which too often derogate from the interest and dignity of their characters of men, do not mar the unity of the tranquil, honest, and benign disposition which lends a gracious charm to the American Philosopher,” (Tuckerman). Franklin, in being compared to other philosophers, outshines them completely. Why?  Franklin did something that they did not: He took it upon his own hands to make himself better.  As I mentioned previously, One of Franklin’s virtues was humbleness, the opposite of vanity and egotism. The absence of these elements in Franklin’s life, according to Tuckerman, was one of his most defining features! Franklin worked very hard to force them from his life, and he clearly succeeded. That is one of the things Franklin is remembered for. Not only does Tuckerman say this, but he also clearly states that people admired him for his  moral uprightness, self-devotion, consistency , his patriotism, the habits he exemplified, truths he made vital, interests he promoted, prosperity he initiated, and the silent dignity with which he was content (Tuckerman). All of these reasons for admiration are directly related to the morals Franklin worked so hard to keep, further proving that he succeeded in making himself a better person.                                                                                            

                  Franklin’s choice to implement his set of virtues drastically affected his life. He saw the benefits, and mentioned more than once the rewards and progress he made. His method of following them and his determination to do so can be fully credited to his success . Franklin knew that he was becoming a better person, and he continued to keep it up. As said by Tuckerman, Franklin is remembered for his moral uprightness, and it has been made known that this was a direct result of Franklin’s hard work to better himself. From the results mentioned, it is fully justifiable to state that Franklin was indeed successful in becoming a better person. Now the question to be further analyzed is  no longer 'was Franklin successful?' but rather 'could one be successful if one tried?' 

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia: Henry Altemus, 1895. Print.

Tuckerman, Henry T. "Franklin's Character." Comp. Harold Bloom. Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical    Review. New York: Chelsea House, 2006. N. pag. Print.