Little Shop of Knowledge

Benjamin Franklin narrates events in his life in an order that he thought coherent with his accomplishments and formation. He wrote his autobiography as a letter to his nephew at first and little did he know that today people would still be learning and following his example on becoming men of virtue through his own advice.
 
What struck me the most from this book was Franklin’s drive to become a better person every time he could. From when he was a child he took advantage of every opportunity he had to learn and move forward. He was a man that reasoned his moves but also dared to take risks. (I couldn’t believe that he was in grammar school for such a short time and that they confused his writings with that of an adult writer.)  Also, when he mentions how he was able to buy some bread with the little money that he had left, and yet he shared some with someone who was hungry as well.
 
I mentioned earlier that Franklin was a man that reasoned his motives and acted on behalf of this reason. At times it may have seemed like something not so important to think about but for him it was important to find WHY he did things. One of the funniest examples I can recall is when he decided he wouldn’t eat meat until one day when he was with some fishermen they cut open a fish. He noticed that this fish had eaten other little fish so he thought that if the fish ate tiny fish he would eat this fish as well.
 
Benjamin Franklin was a man of excellence; in every venture that he took he looked to fulfill it to the best of his ability. Such was the case of his own person. Yes, he created a system that documented his reflections upon his virtues and his performance during the day. In the charts bellow you’ll see first his thirteen virtues, then the chart he used. At the top he wrote the virtue he would focus on during the week, on the left column you’ll see a letter for the virtue he’s working in, on the top row the day of the week. Every mark means that a fault was committed; eventually you want to bring it down as much as possible. 
 
I think I’ll start my own virtue book, for one cannot reach perfection but it is in pursuit of these virtues that one becomes a man.