Order. Let all things have
their places; let each part
of your business have its time. BEN FRANKLIN
of your business have its time. BEN FRANKLIN
We’re taking a quick spin through Ben Franklin’s list of 13 virtues to see what we can learn from them.
The 13 virtues (behaviors), as you recall, constitute the
personal self-improvement program Franklin designed in his effort to pursue
perfection.
Order was the third item on his list, and his specific goal was to use order and discipline to acquire more time for his varied projects and studies.
It’s also interesting to
note that he never fully mastered the virtue of order. Much later in life he
wrote that it gave him the most trouble, particularly when he was traveling and
mixing with the world. He noted, “Order, too, with regard to places for things,
papers, etc., I found extremely difficult to acquire.”
Franklin bemoans his
lack of perfection in this regard, but in his own inimitable way, he offers a
wonderful rationalization. “[A] benevolent man should allow a few faults in
himself, to keep his friends in countenance.”
His advice is sound:
Let all things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
The lesson? Perfection may be attainable, but it may not be desirable – if you want to keep a few friends and colleagues.
The lesson? Perfection may be attainable, but it may not be desirable – if you want to keep a few friends and colleagues.
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