Journal #13

I feel like I gained a lot more than I originally thought that I was going to from this project.  Benjamin Franklin in general fascinates me, and that was before I even knew about his thirteen virtues and his system.  It fascinates quite a lot to think about someone who is able to look at how they are living and what system they are living by and are able to change it and try to make themselves a better person.  Getting in depth was interesting as well and seeing even more how he applied it and how he changed as a person from it.  What I gained group-wise from the project:  I have never been put into this type of situation where my only means of communication was electronic (my owl wasn't available at the time), and that was kind of cool to experience.  The idea of the project to make kids have to communicate with other students on their own is a good idea and something that can be useful for us.  The thing is though, yep there's the BUT you were probably waiting for, I honestly don't think some kids are mature enough for it yet.  That sounds really aloof and demeaning...but seriously.  I felt like a lot of the other students were not able to hold themselves accountable for dead lines with out a teacher explicitly telling them when and how they needed to do it.  WAIT.  My group was actually a really good group, though.  Mostly everyone was really good about getting their own individual stuff in.  I guess I'm ranting about what other groups told me.  Something that could help: make more explicit dead-lines and what is DUE at that time.  I know I was a little confused on exactly what was due with each dead-line.  I also think making more individual assignments in the project would also be beneficial and we would gain a whole lot more.  For example the video called for a lot of communication from the group and I felt like we got very caught up in who is doing what and oh-my-gosh I have to get all of this done by this time and we just threw together what we could to make sure we even turned in a video.  We weren't able to take our time and put forth our absolute best because we were so concerned with making sure we had everything done and turned in.  Now all of this might just be my feelings and I legitimately have nothing against any Farmington people so please don't hunt me down and eat me...Happy Halloween!

Was Benjamin Franklin's System of Virtues a Success? 10/27/12

     Benjamin Franklin was one of the only humans ever that was able to accept that how he was living was not as good as it could be.  He came to the conclusion that he could do better.  After coming to this conclusion, he created his own system of thirteen virtues.  He created this hoping that if he did indeed stick to his system, he would become a better person.  He began recording in a notebook at the end of each day how well he did living each virtue.  The system was designed to be completed in cycles.  According to his autobiography, after his first cycle, he no longer needed to recored in his notebook to hold himself accountable.  He became a good person without thinking about it.  Benjamin Franklin's system of virtues was successful in making Franklin a better person because eventually it became a sub-conscience effort; he was morally upright and he did not even have to think about it.  

     Benjamin Franklin first began to implement his system of virtues into his life by recording his faults in a little notebook.  His immediate findings upon implementing his system was not what he had in mind:  "I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined..." (Franklin 88).  He knew that humans were chock full of flaws, but he had no idea how bad the situation really was.  This didn't diminish his yearn to be a better person, though.  He continued in his adventure to be the best possible person he could be.  He kept up with his notebook until he "had the satisfaction of seeing them (faults) diminished." (Franklin 88).  Franklin persevered and kept up with his system.  He wanted to make himself a better person and he proved it's not easy.  It took him at least a year to improve himself, but his autobiography has all the evidence needed to prove that he indeed did.  "...and on those lines I mark'd my faults with a black-lead pencil, which marks I could easily wipe out with a wet sponge.  After a while I went thro' one course only in a year, and afterward only one in several years, till at length I omitted them entirely..." (Franklin 88).  This quote perfectly summarizes his adventure with his system.  It did indeed take him a pretty long time to get any results, but in the end he "omitted them entirely..." (Franklin 88).  

     Even though it took Benjamin Franklin a while, and he did not start out as well as he imagined he would, his system of virtues was still very successful in making him an overall better person.  He took time and recorded thirteen things he felt encompassed a good, well rounded individual.  He then proceeded to apply these to his life with the upmost determination.  He even says when he started he was immediately discouraged by finding that he was much worse person than he imagined (page 88).  This was just like a hurdle on a track.  He hoped right on over the hurdle and kept racing towards the finish line until he got to the end and became the best possible person he felt he could be.  

Franklin, Benjamin, Dixon Wecter, Larzer Ziff, and Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin

Franklin's Autobiography. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1959. 81+.

Print.

Journal #12

Hello Blogger.  I have not missed you.  What is the American Dream?  Your definition depends on your point of view in today's world.  My definition of of the modern American Dream is probably going to differ from someone else's.  In my opinion, happiness a lot of times comes from acceptance.  I feel like this applies to me.  I have a lot of friends in this world and for the most part they are what make me happy.  I surround myself with good people who make me a better person just by being themselves and that brings me the up most joy.  The American Dream to me is having friends and family who love you and don't care if you have this or if you have that.  They love you for who you are.  They want you around because they enjoy your personality, not the material objects you have to offer.  A more modern day take on "The American Dream" would be more materialistic.  People a lot of the time find comfort and happiness in what they own and knowing that what they own is better than what someone else owns.  The stereotypical person of today's world would describe "The American Dream" as having a nice comfortable place to live, having friends and family who love you, being in a comfortable financial place in your life, and having a steady job.  Those things are all very important indeed.  I think the financial aspect is put a little higher than other things a lot of the time.  People need to know that they have financial security when they go to sleep.  They like knowing they can provide for their family and have a back up plan if theirs falls through.  I think the "American Dream" has always, and will always, be about having security.  If that security be with your spouse, your children, your friends, your home, or money.  People NEED to feel secure.

Benjamin Franklin and The System of Virtues

     Benjamin Franklin was one of the most influential figures in American history, especially in the Rationalism Period.  He was one of the first people to use logic and actual evidence with his writing.  The Declaration of Independence was not just some words he came up with and, along with a few other people, threw on a paper.  He used actual events and happenings to decide what was good and what was bad for America and logically combined them and artfully wrote them on paper.  Well he did not necessarily write it, but helped to write it.  At one point in his life, he realized he was not the person he wanted to be.  He was able to pinpoint a lot of flaws within his personality.  Once he had these flaws pinpointed he began to create his own system of virtues.  There were thirteen of them:  Temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness. tranquility, chastity, and humility.  These were the thirteen things that he felt encompassed a good person, and he was determined to master all of them.  This exemplified The Rationalism Period through its logic.  Benjamin Franklin saw a problem with himself, and he didn't just pray to God and assume he would fix it and he did not just make the accusation that demons were causing him to have flaws.  Instead he took responsibility and created his own scientific method of improving himself.
     Benjamin Franklin started out being religiously educated as a Presbyterian.  He speaks of a Presbyterian preacher who used to visit him and of this preachers sermons:  "But his discourses were chiefly either polemic arguments, or explications of the peculiar doctrines of ours sect, and were all to me very dry, uninteresting, and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforc'd, their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens"  (Franklin, 82).  This shows us that Franklin was a religious man, but he still found many flaws within the religious system.  He believed that their was a God, but he did not rely on religion to explain everything and dictate his entire life.  He was logical and realized that if he wanted change he needed to make his own change.  "I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent out slipping"  (Franklin, 83).  This quote shows that Benjamin Franklin also realized that wanting change was not enough.  Just to have the interest to be completely virtuous was not enough.  During The Rationalism Period, people began to realize that they can't rely on religion to do everything for them.  They had to be logic and solve things on their own.  Benjamin Franklin's System of Virtues is a great example of this.  Benjamin Franklin realized how he was living was not all that he could be and so he did something about it.  He took matters into his own hands and created a scientific and methodical way of solving the problem.  
     Benjamin Franklin's System of Virtues is a wonderful representation of The Rationalism Period in many ways.  A few words that describe The Rationalism Period are scientific, methodical, and logical.  The System of Virtues can also be easily described in this way.  Benjamin Franklin saw that he was not living in the way he maybe should be and took responsibility.  He didn't try to blame it on God or the Devil or ghosts, he simply took responsibility and tried to change it.  He created a very methodical plan to better himself that included daily examinations of himself and recordings of his actions each day.  He hoped he would be able to publish his findings so that he could share with everyone how he thought was best to improve your life.  Benjamin Franklin took responsibility and made a very logical and scientific way of solving his problems, just as many did in The Rationalism Period.   

Franklin, Benjamin, Dixon Wecter, Larzer Ziff, and Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1959. 81+. Print.