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+.
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