Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A Virtuous Life


READ THIS FIRST:
For this blog response, I would like you to speak some truth! You MUST first answer my questions; be thorough, show depth and use Franklin's text to support your assertions. I would like you to write a critical question at the end of your response. I expect you to respond to at least one other person's post and question.

1. What virtue on Franklin's list do you think is most important? What virtue do you think people need to improve upon?
2. How is Franklin a rationalist? (See notes to help you draw a conclusion)
3. How do we learn what it means to live "right"?  
4. What virtues must you attain to live a "good" life? Do you practice these?
5. What drives you to improve (if you seek this idea)? Will we ever be satisfied?
6. What did you learn listening to the creedos shared in class?

58 comments:

  1. I think that the virtue of industry is the most important and the one we all need to improve on most. To often we all waste time doing meaningless things. We could be productive during this time, and accomplish something that matters, but instead we just sit around. We could get so much more done in our lives if we didn't need to waste time constantly. Why do we need to waste time, why does being productive tire us out?

    His virtues show us how Franklin is a rationalist. He says we should not talk unless it is for a reason, we should always be doing someting, we should do a little bit of everything and be level headed. He addresses each of these in a very logical, intellectual way without letting emotion affect him.

    Society tells us what it means to live right. The values of other countries can be drastically different than ours in America. This is because the society of other countries tell them what is right. Many times there is no universal right and wrong. Are there any values that are inherently "American"?

    In order to live a "good life", you must attain the virtues that mean most to you. Much of this is subjective. You can live a perfectly good life without many of these if you don't care much about them. Why do people always live for others?

    Constantly seeing my imperfections drives me to improve. Everyone wants to become better. Living without improvement or progress, isn't really living, it's just surviving. It is human nature to need to improve. I do not think we will ever be satisfied because we will never be able to become perfect and we will continually be reminded by our imperfections. We constantly compare ourselves to each other, and someone will always be better than another. This drives everyone to improve. Competition is what causes evolution. Why are we never honestly content with how we are?

    I learned that we are all driven by something, by a specific experience, or a belief honed over the years. We all believe many of the same things, we just spoke our beliefs in different words. We each interpret our drive in a different way. We all want to make our lives count, we all feel insignificant,and we all know we are not perfect, and we all want to impact others. What made us have these beliefs?

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    1. Jack: I was very intrigued that you said the most important virute to you was industry. Personally, I really liked this becuase I think that industry is one of the virtues that I often forget about. I really does play a strong role in our lives and how we define ourselves. In response to your question - I think that our inner desire for value in ourselves is what has created these beliefs. I truly think that accpetance is what strives us to all make an impact on each other's lives.

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    2. I believe people are never content with themselves because of the pressure society puts on people to be better. But, I almost feel like that is a good thing to a point, because we want people to be the best they can be. I don't want people giving up and settling for things. For example, finding a cure for cancer. At one point scientists found chemotherapy to help reduce cancer, it can't cure it but sometimes it helps. I'm glad they didn't stop there, we need scientists to keep looking for a cure and not be content with just finding things to help it.

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    3. I agree that people spend quite a bit of time doing meaningless things, but how would just working hard all the time affect our happiness in life? Maybe some of the meaningless things have one true meaning - to add some happiness and some fun into our lives. Yes, watching TV or knitting a sweater may not change the world, but maybe they could change you and affect who you are. These meaningless things could add up to something pretty powerful, a person capable of impacting the world.

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  2. 1. The virtue from Franklin’s list that I think is most important is Order. I believe that order is most important because it is what helps guide the direction and path of our lives. The more order that we can obtain in our lives the less stressed we will be. However, the virtue that I think people need to most improve on is Sincerity. I believe that people, especially our generation, doesn’t give others very much respect. I think that people are often much more blunt than they need to be. I don’t think most people fully realize the impact of their actions.

    2. Franklin is a rationalist by the way he perceives the world around him. He believes that there is a reasonable explanation as to how and why things are the way they are. On page 92 of the packet, he says, “As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other.” Franklin takes upon the task of perceiving and trying to solve his problems. He is also essentially a problem solver. He thinks through the way he attempts his problems in a manner that is achievable, “I judged it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time.”

    3. I think that we can learn what it means to live ‘right’ through the way we perceive things. I think perception and observation are the key way to understand wrong from right. Even as young children, we are born with some conceptual idea as to the difference, but it is as we grow that we learn wrong from right. Often times, I find that my eyes are essentially my ears – meaning that instead of hearing right from wrong, I see it more.

    4. I think that the virtues that one must attain to live a ‘good life’ is different for everyone. Obviously, some virtues should be followed by everyone, but I think that certain virtues apply more to certain people. For me personally, I think that some of the more important virtues for me are: Tranquility, Resolution and Order. I can easily apply all the virtues, but these specific ones fit my lifestyle more. I try to practice these virtues without really thinking about them. I think that the more I dwell on trying to achieve these virtues, the harder they will be to do. I really think the key is to become natural at daily exemplifying these virtues.

    5. I think what really drives me to improve is seeing my mistakes. My mistakes make me want to work harder so that I don’t do them again. I am constantly driven by trying to do something better than I did it the first time. I don’t want to be satisfied by doing something over and over. I want to be able to do something exceptionally well. This applies to the way I learn to play music. I could just learn a song and then play it over and over again. However, what achievement is that? I learn to play a song, but then I learn to play one that is harder than the one before. I don’t know that we will ever be satisfied or that we will ever reach a point that we are fully fulfilled. I think as long as we keep trying we will be fulfilled. The constant movement of trying and doing is what keeps us satisfied.

    6. By listening to the creedos in class I have found that our different values are what make us unique. I am glad that we don’t all value the same things. I loved hearing the differences in everyone’s perceptions and ideals. I think that I can always learn new things by hearing other people’s ideals. Applying my own ideals is just the first step. I think that we need to live by our own ideals and learn to live together with other people’s ideals. I personally liked seeing the opinions or people come out in their papers. I think that we can all understand each other better by listening to the hearts of our peers.

    So, how do all of our very different virtues connect to each other?

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    1. @ Klarissa
      I think that it is really interesting that you value order as the most important virtue. I have never really thought of it that way before and you presented a different perspective for me. I can’t help but wonder how much order should you apply to your life? And if you have to much order, and map everything out does that effect you from enjoying the little things that weren't really planed out or "just" happens? And with life always taking unplanned directions and things always happening is it difficult to stay on that path that order provides for us?

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    2. I think that order is not necessarily having a concrete plan for absolutely everything is but simply that there is a time and place for everything and that we should make sure we always save time for the big stuff before we take time for the little things that aren't as important. When something unexpected happens we then have to reorder ourselves, and something we are constantly doing.
      How do we individually decide what is important for ourselves, what are we influenced by? How does that differ from person to person?

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  3. 1. I think that the most important virtue from Franklin's list is Justice. The world could live without Temperance, Silence, Frugality, Cleanliness, Moderation, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility; However, a world without Justice is a world where the weak are oppressed. As I said in my creed, my family values honor, or in other words "treating others as special". I feel like this statement sums up Justice. The world could not live without Justice. As Jack said, I believe that Industry is what the world needs to improve on the most. He is correct in stating that "We could get so much more done in our lives if we didn't need to waste time constantly". However, I would like to expand this to specifically talk about teens in school and the government. In today's media filled society, teens waste time on social media sites when they could be studying or working to prepare for their future. Also, the government wastes time on small arguments when they could be actively working to improve problems that corrupt our economy and society today.
    2. Franklin is a rationalist because the way he devises to accomplish his goal of a perfect life is logical, scientific, and straightforward. His chart is an organized way to chart progress where “on which line, and in its proper column, I (Franklin) might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting upon that day” (p 94). Franklin’s system of strengthening a virtue per week shows his rationalistic view on life.
    3. We learn what it means to live "right" through personal experiences. These experiences affect the way we see life, which causes us to change our morals and values. Experiences change our perception of “right” and “wrong”. Klarissa highlights this effect by saying,” Even as young children, we are born with some conceptual idea as to the difference, but it is as we grow that we learn wrong from right”. This illustrates my point that as we grow we have different experiences, and our conceptual ideas of “right” and “wrong” are strengthened or altered.
    4. In my opinion, the virtues must you attain to live a "good" life are subjective, as Klarissa and Jack said. However, my religious beliefs play a strong part in my personal virtues. I believe in following the virtues of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. I believe that these virtues create a “good” life because a person who follows them becomes the best person for themselves and the world. I do my best to practice these, but unfortunately I fall short more often than I would like.
    5. My idea of my “ideal self” drives me to improve. This “ideal self” is how I want to be perceived by others, such as my parents or friends. It also is how I want to live up to my own expectations for myself. I don’t think I will ever be fully satisfied, but I believe that small accomplishments, such as a college scholarship or soccer win or good score on a test, will be my reward.
    6. By listening to the creedos shared in class, I learned that everyone has different driving factors that drive them to different ideals. However, I can relate to a lot of the creeds, such as Sanjay’s “race”. One shared factor of the creeds that hit me hard was the fact that everyone wants to make their own impact on life. I have battled this idea constantly in my life because I feel that life is so short but there has to be more to it. I want to live up to my expectations but I am as small as an ant. Often, I turn to my religion to find a purpose. I reflected my ideas in a short story that I wrote, called I AM.

    How does a value transform a lifestyle to create a person’s character?

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  4. Klarissa-
    I think it is interesting that you said "I think that we can all understand each other better by listening to the hearts of our peers" because in your Personal Creed, you mentioned that you were a very intuitive person who likes to watch and wonder about people. I can see how you stay true to yourself and know your character because you are applying what you said in your creed to real life. I agree that we learn a lot from our peers. One person that I have learned a lot from is my younger sister Rachel. She uses the virtue of tranquility when I tease her, and has a lot of patience. She is always willing to help out a friend. Also, she has discovered the secret of happiness because she lives each day by going with the flow and enjoying every moment. By watching Rachel's successful virtues, I can find ways to improve my own life by applying them to myself.

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  5. Rebekah--

    I believe that our character is a direct reflection of our values. When one has a strong belief, it often shows itself in a person's actions. When people act the same way repeatedly, that action becomes a habit. If one maintains that habit long enough, it becomes engrained in that person's lifestyle. Eventually, it will become an integral part of his character. This is why we should watch what we believe in and want most, so we do not become someone we don't want to be.

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  6. I think that the most important virtue is order because if a person has order in their life, then everything else will fall into place. A person that has order leads a controlled life that is stress free. People need to improve on all virtues, but I believe the most significant one is industry. I think that people waste a lot of time doing unproductive things. It's okay to have fun, but people don't take life seriously enough. I can think of some of my friends that don't do any of their school work and that isn't going to help them succeed in high school. Franklin is a rationalist because he lives a very logical, even life. Franklin knows that he has areas in his life that need to be improved. I think that living "right" is different for every person. Some people may find meaning in doing well in school, while others may try to emphasize sports in their life. Also, people have different values which will cause them to want to act differently. In order to have a "good" life, I think a person needs to have frugality, industry, sincerity, and moderation. All four of these virtues will cause a person to lead a balanced life. If a person has a balanced life, they will be less stressed; ultimately resulting in a "good" life. Personally, I practice these but I can always do better. I need to work on sincerity because sometimes I tend to talk down on people, without even knowing it. If I work more on how I come across to people, they may view me in a whole new way. I am driven to improve just for the need to improve. I can't explain why, but I'm always trying to "one up" myself. There's always something I can do better. For that reason, I don't think I will ever be satisfied. Think about technology. There is always a new, better phone coming out. In the same way, a person can never stop improving. While listening to the creedos shared in class, I learned that people are afraid of failure, it's not just me. I question my purpose in regards to the future. It's good to know that I'm not the only one.

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    1. I like your point about people wasting their time and how they need to take life more seriously but do you think there needs to be a balance between work and fun?
      I, like you, am always trying to improve and be better. So therefore we should always be improving, and never stop. Why do you think some people don't have that drive?

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    2. Melissa-
      People might not have a drive to improve themselves because they haven't yet figured out their values. They may not have motivation to improve because they don't know what they are living for. I think that is one reason why introspection is so important.

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  7. The virtue that I think is most important is silence. I know I have a problem with it, and my family does too. We argue and bicker on silly things instead of enjoying our time together. The virtue that I think people need to work on however is tranquility. Time moves seemingly faster every day in this society, and people stress over every little think and problem. As a whole society I feel that we all need to learn how to stop, take a breath, and laugh at the mistakes and problems we face. We stress too much!
    Franklin is a rationalist because he doesn’t think how people tell him to think. He looks at the facts and draws his own conclusion on whether or not something is worth believing.
    We learn what it means to live “right” by how our parents raise us. Now it’s not always that way, but I would say it mostly is. Our parents set up our background and our morals and show us what is ok and what isn’t.
    I think the only way to live a “good” life is to live like there’s no tomorrow, but that would require a lot of money and would mean our world would be extremely uneducated. Really, it would be hard to practice all the virtues in any case. A person may be able to get down all the virtues, but tranquility would be hard to master after all that because suddenly you’d worry about all the other virtues. In order to live a so called, “good” life, one must find that understanding of imperfection and happiness. Do I do this? I try, but I know that I still judge and I still let myself get into these funks where I just want to sit in my basement and do nothing.
    I’d like to think my friends and family drive me to improve, but really, I drive myself to improve. I’m impatient and don’t like waiting for other people’s opinions, so I create my own, and think, if I weren’t me, and I saw myself walking by, what would I think? I know for a fact I will never be satisfied, and I don’t think anyone is truly satisfied with life and with what they’ve done with their selves.
    The creedos opened up a whole new world to me. I’m not alone in feeling pain, and I’m not alone in thinking the things I think. It’s opened my eyes to what judgment truly is and how wrong it can be.

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    1. Why is it so hard to find that tranquility within ourselves? (Sorry, thought this copied from my word document, but it must not have)

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    2. I'd like to believe that tranquility would come from finding peace within yourself and the life you lead. However, it seems more and more that our sense of self can come from outside sources- and we only alienate our true self to become acquainted with the person we think society and others would find appealing. It's scary to be the only one against something, the only one different from others, it's easier, safer, and seems like it makes others happy to conform to something that they can comprehend and understand. Like they put the independent self of someone in the box they create from the start. It makes you feel as if you're doing something wrong by having peace within the person you are, and thus, you resolve to change to find peace beyond yourself in others' approval.

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    3. -How is order of society maintained? How has it become that people must sacrifice in order to be accepted?

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  8. @Jack
    I really like this question, because I know for a fact, a lot of my beliefs contradict with the majority of people. It's our past experiences that make us believe (or not believe) what we do (or don't). Growing up one way will drive you to think in a different path than you would if you were raised differently. I also believe as we grow older and gain a brain of our own and think how we want to think, we come to our own realizations instead of our parent's realizations. While finding ourselves, we begin to understand what we truly believe in and what we grew up believing in.

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  10. Of all Franklin’s virtues, resolution speaks the strongest to keeping your word. So many aspects of happiness, progress, and success are based off of resolving something. Resolution does not work if you don’t either, so resolution has a lot to do with work ethic, and the will to change something. Being able to notice something needs to be resolved takes both humility and noticing the impact of what you resolve to accomplish around you.
    People need to regain the importance of humility. It’s good to have self-confidence, but the rising amount of not thinking things through to how they will affect others around them- is astonishing. If everyone showed humility towards others, and tasks they took on, they would realize that through humility comes other values such as silence and industry.
    Franklin is a rationalist in that he is always searching for self-improvement through monstrous tasks of keeping his behavior and thoughts in check. Franklin was also a rationalist in his religious choices, believing in logicalness- he has no emotions to govern his actions and goes about methodically to revise bad habits and loss of virtuous behavior.
    Society today has become more tolerant to extremes of action and ways of living. Conscience plays a part in doing what makes us feel good about what we just did, what we are doing, and what we will do. Living “right” has different connotations for everyone, but the first step to living “right” should be looking within yourself to see what governs you.

    Living an acceptable life should be having a kind and sincere air about you, many feel as if the whole world is against them and all they need to do is open up to the reality of everyone being lost at some point. Feeling content with what you do and stand for guides you to the kind of life you live, thus creating elaboration to what “good” is for everyone. I try to practice virtues when I feel I need them. I think I will come to conclusions about the kind of person I will be to exercise them.

    I always have a future self to look out for; there is always something to be improved on. At the end of the day though, my conscience catches up with me and that’s when I what I will strive for tomorrow. Satisfaction comes after a point of knowing what you want to know. People will only ever hear what they want to hear.

    I was amazed at the diversity of goals, mindsets, and resolutions to get there. It made me feel pumped up and ready to step out into my own skin to improve. Some also made me feel intimidated, that I would never reach that mindset about competitiveness, smarts, or drive- but I will continue to reach to feel confident to find my own level of self and try and improve every time I set my mind to the task.

    -Do people settle for themselves, or societal pressure to conform to less than you could be?

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    1. I've got to start off by saying that I completely agree with the whole idea that resolution is important. It's one thing to say you're going to do something, but another to actually do it. We definitely need more of it. I also really like your question at the end. I know that personally, a lot of what I do is based on what others think of me and how I will be looked at. Especially when talking about teenagers, I think you brought up a good question, will people ever settle for themselves? How can we change the power of conformity to let people do the things they want? Do you even think it's possible to change society in that big of a way?

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  11. 1) I believe the most important virtue is frugality. Americans have so much and spend it all on material items and then wonder why there is so much debt. I believe frugality is also what people need to improve on most.
    2) Franklin is not just directed by his feelings. He uses logic and thinks things through.
    3) We learn how to live "right" by seeing what other people do and their mistakes. In a simple sense it would be live cave men making the first fire. They made a fire and one man stuck his hand in it and got burned. From then on, people don't go sticking their hands in fire. We learned from the person that did and the consequences. We see what works and what doesn't.
    4)I think virtues to attain a "good" life would be resolution and justice. Of course it varies for all people and there are a few other smaller virtues that people should follow but those are the main ones. Possessing resolution and justice would be the start of a good life, in my opinion.
    5) I always want to be better than I was the day before. Also, living up to others expectations and meeting goals set either by myself or others motivates me.
    6) After reading the Creedos, I realized there was a common theme; being who you are or accepting yourself. Most people shared about how they have accepted their self or are proud of who they are. However, we all have different experiences that have placed that mind set in each of us. We think different and have different virtues but that makes us who we are.

    Would society benefit from everyone having common virtues?

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    1. I dont think that our society would benifit from everyone have common virtues, because then everyone would be living the same life, and there would be no variation or difference from one person's life to another's. If this were to happen our society would be easily manipulated by some outside source like a dictator, and it would turn into a lot like the society from Fahrenheit 451 or Brave New World, in Which people's lives are very much the same, and they are all ruled under the iron fist of a cruel leader.

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  12. 1. In looking at all of the virtues on Franklin’s list, it seems to me that the most important one is industry because it says to “lose no time, be always employed in something useful,” which if were mostly true, students would be very successful and we might find joy in different things. It is important because it means productivity which would in turn, push our society forward. It is also about having industry in down time. Make sure the time you are using for yourself when you relax is productive and really helps you. This is something, though, that we need to improve on because there is too much wasted time. We only have a short amount of time to live, why not milk it for all of its worth?
    2. Franklin is perceived as a rationalist because the virtues he created demonstrated that he held knowledge about life and that he sees reason in actions. His virtues were all things that people should do a little of every day and things that people should be aware of doing to live a life of happiness. He believes that if you ration your actions, you will be more productive and have more time to do things you like. Franklin is someone who cannot stand to be unbalanced but also feels the need to take it upon himself to fix it.
    3. There is almost no way of knowing what is living right because no one is here to tell us what it is like but we like to think we know. The ideal is having a family, making enough money to have a house and eat food, and maybe travel. I think though that Franklin created these virtues as a way of living right, that if we followed them and honored them that “living right” would come naturally. We also learn how to live right but changing our flaws and correcting our mistakes once they have happened. My personal opinion is that if I are living right, I have respect for everyone and everyone has respect for me. It also means that I have opinion of matter and can accomplish anything.
    4. To obtain a “good life” I think there are some obvious virtues to follow, not necessarily on the list of 13 that Franklin created but they can reflect different perspectives. It really depends on the person because different people will set their priorities differently and may not see being respectful or productive as important as others. For me I think that Silence, Order, Resolution, and Industry are the virtues one should practice because it won’t necessarily lead to a “good life” but it will definitely lead to better things in life.
    5. A lot of what drives me to improve is the influence of others. When I take a look around me at people who are achieving, I realize I want to be like them and try to push myself to be like them. What also keeps me improving is the pressure of society to be famous, successful, or a genius. I feel that for so long, I have to match what is expected and in turn, I feel I will never be satisfied. The fact that I keep improving never makes me realize where I am right now. When is enough, enough?
    6. I learned that a lot of people in class have goals, things they want out of life, and arguments or point of views on things and even though they were all different, they were almost the same because we all “have” those mindsets. We all have stories and memories that drive us and make up our character. It is quite interesting learning new things about fellow classmates and it is always beneficial because they help me guide myself into my character and what I really believe.

    What is the exact definition of a virtue and can it be questioned or challenged?

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    1. A virtue is a morally just rule that rules over or guides one's life. I believe that virtue is not something that can be challenged. After all, a virtue is something that guides that person's life and they believe it to be true, so it's a very subjective ideal. One can challenge their own virtues through life experiences, but it is not morally acceptable to challenge someone else's ideals based on your own. "Walk a mile in their shoes".

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  13. @Taylor
    Well I feel we are looking for the "perfect life" and so along the way, if we get trifled or into an accident, we almost feel like we are ruining those chances. I believe that it is our natural instinct to be flustered when things like this happen because we fear in will interfere with the major outcomes of our life but that's what makes us stronger. The fact that we mull over the situation too long is the issue, what we need to do is resolve is quicker, and get stronger quicker.

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  14. I believe that the one virtue that our society could not live without is Justice. Without Justice, people would be running around, stealing things, killing people, and causing mayhem here ever they go. That's not to say the the entire population would be doing this, but the few that would could ruin the society for everyone else. I think that a few virtues that the world should work on are Frugality, Sincerity and Temperance. There are far too many people being insincere with their apologies, buying unneeded merchandise, and eating and drinking much more that necessary. If we as a society can work on these things then we can not only improve ourselves, but our society as a whole.
    Franklin was a rationalist because of the way that he viewed and interpreted his surroundings. Like Bekah said, he believed that everything could be explained. Everything that he did and made was very straightforward and scientific, even his virtues are that way. I think that this view could have influenced or been influenced by his non-belief in God.
    We learn how to live the "right life through personal experiences and through our learning. As we go through our lives were are presented with choices and are expected to make the right choice. The more choices we have to make, the more experienced and skilled we become at telling what is right and what is wrong.
    In order to live a "good life", I believe that you need some of each virtue in your life. But you don't necessarily have to practice every one all that time. I think that our personal morals and values show us which virtues to live by, and if we live by the virtues that uphold our values, then we will live a good life.
    I am driven to improve by my future goals for my life. I want to have a good job and family, so I am driven by those motives to improve myself. Although I don't always achieve the goals that I set for myself the first time I try for them, I usually try again in order to achieve them.
    From listening to the personal creeds, I learned that everyone has a different view on life, and that everyone want to be able to live their lives to the fullest, which is exactly what I would like to do. I also learned that our personal experiences have driven us to become what we are today, and because everyone's experiences are different, everyone has different values and morals that they live by.

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    1. I really liked when you said, "The more choices we have to make, the more experienced and skilled we become at telling what is right and what is wrong." This spoke to me because at some point, everyone has to deal with a lot of major decisions, and knowing that the choices we make will only help us with the decision making process later on is important. I agree that experience helps teach us what is right or wrong.

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  15. Question: How do our personal morals and virutes shape our lives and make us who we are?

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  16. 1. I have to start out by saying that all of Franklin’s virtues are very important in their own way, but the one that seems to be the most significant, especially in this day in age, is industry. It seems like everyone has so much time to waste doing insignificant things. I know that the newer technology allows us to achieve tasks faster and at a more rapid pace, so that’s why we have all this time on our hands, but we need to being doing more productive activities instead of sitting around and watching tv, or texting a friend. It’s too easy for us waste away our time playing games on the internet or checking our facebook. There’s even a website called Iwastesomuchtime.com, which I’m guilty of spending hours on! What has our society turned to? This kind of leads me to think that our society needs to be more frugal. Not only with time, like I had mentioned earlier, but more frugal with what we spend and what we buy in return for what we spend. Our American culture is known for being thoughtless with our money and spending more than we need.
    2. I think that in many ways Franklin was a rationalist because of the way he went about achieving his list of virtues and conquered them one by one; the way a rational person would go about it. He decided to put them into a table, and once he achieved number one, he moved on the number 2 and so on. He knew that it would be way too big of a task to try to master all of the virtues at once and was rational about his plan. Now, he may not have been rational about his goal in eventually mastering all thirteen virtues and keeping it that way, but we will never know if he managed to get through all of them without one “mistake”.
    3. The way we all learn what’s right and wrong is through our childhood and learning from those around us, but I don’t think there is an exact definition of living “right”. I mean, we all try to live the best possible way we can, but we all have a different version of living “right” and without any imperfections. No one can live without any faults. You might not think you are making a fault, but that’s your opinion, and other people might perceive something you do as a fault. Then, are you really living a pure life or what you believe to be a pure life?
    4. Of course to live a “good” life, there isn’t just one virtue to practice, but an important one is resolution. We all set goals for ourselves, but the question is can we achieve these goals? I find, that I have attained this virtue and seem to complete it on a daily basis. I always have something new to strive for and work my hardest to get to that goal. Whether it be getting an A on a math test, knowing all my steps for dance, or being on time to all of my classes, I always push myself.
    5. What drives me to improve is looking good in front of everyone else. I really do work hard so I appear to be a hard working student to my parents, friends, and teachers. I’m afraid of coming off dumb and so I do all of my studying to show up my peers on tests. I know it sounds stupid, but that’s really what motivates me to do well in school and achieve. I’m not sure if we can ever be completely satisfied; especially when talking big picture like in life. Of course you can be completely satisfied with little things, like getting 100% on a test and other things like that, though.
    6. It was really quite intriguing listening to everyone else’s creedos because of how similar I feel about life to a lot of other people in class. Sometimes I feel like I’m alone and struggling all by myself, and listening to others share their narratives was an eye opener. Every once in awhile, someone would share and I would have absolutely no connection to it at all, but it made me feel calm to know I share some of my difficulties with other students in class.
    Do you think it’s possible to achieve all of the virtues at the same time? When do we come to the realization that maybe we can’t change who we are and the way we are?

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    1. I like how you talked about technology and industry. Most teenagers today can relate to this! Society continues to progress, but these new technologies can sometimes set us back. Technology is supposed to make out lives easier, but sometimes ends up making everything more complicated. There is good and bad to these advancements and progress in general, so right now there is no real place to draw the line. Do you think that if people didn't rely on technology so much they would be more motivated?

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  18. I believe that the most important virtue mentioned by Franklin was tranquility. With out tranquility, people would get upset over the most frivolous things and they would be so upset that they wouldn't be able to make sound decisions and everything they decided would be based on emotional bias. I think that this virtue is also the virtue that people need to work on most. People are so stressed over the little things and don't know how to enjoy what is staring them right in the face. They base their decisions on that stress or emotional uprising and make bad decisions at even worse times.

    Ben Franklin was a rationalist by way of his virtues. He laid out his virtues in a way that they outlined his idea of a perfect life in loo of "take only what you need and say only what matters." This is a very rational way of thinking about it, however most people would set their virtues in terms of spiritual or mental guidance, where he set his to rational ideals.

    I believe that we learn to live right by way of just living life. We go through life attempting to learn how we should live our lives to have it be comfortable for us and others. All 80 some years are dedicated to the idea of living a perfect life, and I don't believe that we will ever know how to live right until the day we die, or we may even die without knowing how to live "right". However, it's what you feel is living life "right", so we could be living life "right" everyday.

    In order to live a "good life", one must must attain virtues that the person values most. If they live by those values, then they should have no qualm with how they lived their life and they should live it with no regrets. There will be times that person will slip up and they will be upset about it, but they must also except the fact that they aren't perfect and they live their lives following their virtues as closely as possible.

    What drives people to improve is the idea of perfection. They want to be the perfect person, well rounded, and have it all. They work and want to be the best they can be. That fact is that nothing is perfect and until people realize that and see that there is no way they will be perfect and that they should be happy with who they are they will never be satisfied.

    What I took away from the creedo assignment was that I was forced to boil my entire life's lessons into a rule or set of rules that applied to me. After reading it over, I saw that it really was what I believed in but I also couldn't help but notice the gaps and I couldn't and can't wait to see what I learn in the future and how it will affect my creed.

    Do you believe that as you go through life, your creed will stay the same and you will only tweak the details? Or do you believe that you will at one point completely rethink how you live your life and change everything you live by?

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    1. Hunter,
      I believe that, as you said in your response, we learn what it means to live "right" by experiencing life itself. So, in terms of one's creed, I believe that we are constantly changing it day by day, and that we will never have a true "creed to live by" until we have seen our entire lives play out.

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    2. Hunter-
      I think that both answers to your question are correct. I think that as soon as you truly define who you are and what's most important to you that your creeed won't change. However, until you've done that you will have many different creedsd that define your morals at the moment. Not until you really realize who you are will you have a creed that won't change. Up until then, your creed will change often as you encounter new ideas and values.

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  19. 1. I think the most important virtue on Franklin's list is Tranquility. However, I think it goes hand in hand with Sincerity. I think that if people say meaningful things, and if listeners are not bothered by meaningless comments, then I think a lot of anger and frustration and hostility will be eliminated from our society, which I consider important.

    2. The reader can determine that Franklin was a rationalist by his list of virtues. He says that one should not talk unless it is for a reason, should be level headed, and should do a little bit of everything.

    3. I believe that we learn how to live "right" by learning from experience. I think when we see someone act in a way that upsets us, it resonates with us, teaching us how to act properly. I also think that it works the other way, where we learn from others acting a the "right" way.

    4. I think that one can still live a "good" life without any of these virtues. While it may not be AS good as someone who lived with some of these virtues, it can still be good.

    5. Making other people's day better drives me to improve. After talking to somebody, I hope that they walk away feeling better. I don't want people to walk away from me in a bad mood because I put them in it. However, if I strongly disagree with them, I will let them know and defend my opinion.

    6. By listening to classmates share their personal creeds, I learned that a lot of out virtues develop from fear. I noticed that some people said that learned these traits from fear. I also observed that parents taught their kids a lot of their virtues. They raised their kids with the virtues they have today.

    As I observed, some kids received their traits from their parents, but did more receive them from nature or nurture?

    @Rebekah: I agree with your statement that religion plays a large role in people's lives. I think that they believe that the virtues involved with their religion help them live good lives.

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  20. 1. Tranquility is the hardest to obtain and to improve upon because this trait varies from person to person. Every teenager goes on this “journey” to find out who they truly are and who they believe that they will become, but the truth is that we do not know. Our lives are not carved into stone or set according to a plan that someone in heaven or a ghost has in front of them. Worrying about the unknown is just a part of human nature because curiosity of the unknown gets to the best of mankind, or at least it gets the best of me. Most things we cannot control and in a world where trust issues are sadly, a part of our daily lives it is hard to not worry about the worst-case scenario. As cliché as it is, the worst-case scenario goes along with the idea that one bad apple rots the entire barrel. For example, after the kidnapping of Jessica Ridgeway my parents have worried about me walking to the bus stop; therefore, I have to text my parents when I am on the bus on my way to school. I completely understand my parents reasoning behind this fear but because of one poor incident, lives were changed.
    2. Franklin is a rationalist because when he thinks of his virtues he entitles each virtue for himself and to improve himself. “I determined to give a week’s strict attention to each of the virtues successively. Thus, in the first week, my great guard was to avoid every the least offense against temperance leaving the other virtues to their ordinary faults of the day.” Because Franklin became responsible for himself and his faults then he had the opportunity to live a more virtuous life.
    3. Our families teach us how to live right. Their influence effects each and everyday. From when we are little kids we all learn what is right and what is wrong based on our parents/families opinion. Our family is a constant part of our lives that we learn to rely on.
    4. Each person must be able to love, be trustworthy, have order and have tranquility. Those virtues are the building blocks of a human being because as long as each person can look at him or herself in the mirror and say that they lived the way that they wanted to today, I believe that they deserve to be happy.
    5. I motivate myself to improve because I cannot improve unless I have an example where I can remember a situation that I should have handled differently. Through this personal experience I learn more about myself and how I can improve.
    6. Through listening in the creedos in class I learned that I could learn something different from each individual in the class. I can learn how to accept myself through advice from Casey, which I really need to work on.

    How have virtues changed throughout history?

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    1. Anna - Throughout history I believe peoples virtues have been kind of pushed to the side. There seems to be so much media influence and influence of peers now that folks see that as their ideas and what they believe in, instead of staying true to their own heart and ideals. I feel chastity is one of the virtues that has definitely changed a lot. Unfortunately young people these days don't see waiting until marriage as such an important thing any more. Another virtue that has changed quite a bit is frugality. With credit and loans these days people feel the need to spend too much money on unnecessary items.

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  21. I think that the most important virtue on Franklin’s list is Industry. If you don’t fill your life with purpose, or aren’t doing something you have a passion for then you aren’t really living. And I also think that with industry comes happiness and fulfillment, because you are involving actions into your life that are important and purposeful. “Lose no time; be always employed in something useful”. By being employed in something useful, everyone will be working and doing something that will help push society forward, so everything would be more productive. And with everyone working and being more productive it will make us learn to appreciate what little time we have and not waste it. People are usually employed upon unnecessary stuff that has no relation to their purpose, actions with no real reason or motivation. And without industry people lack motivation and productivity. So this leads me to believe our nation need to improve upon Resolution as well. If everyone in our society did what they said, followed their ambitions more, then we would have more industry. I think with a lack of resolution, all the other virtues lack too, because if people cannot do what they say, to others and themselves, then they have a hard time following through or doing anything at all.
    Franklin was a rationalist because he uses logic to find and identify what areas he needed to improve on, and created an organized method to help him gain the best results. He also lets reason guide him and it’s a key principal in how he acted, thought, and behaved.
    We learn what it means to live “right” I think by just living. With age, time, and life experiences I think we start to create our own versions of what “living right is”. There are also other things that effect how we learn this, and what we learn like our parents, other people, society and the world. But overall I think we learn and discover this by just counting on ourselves and the world to give us the opportunity. There is more than one virtue I think we need to obtain in order to live a “good” life, I think they each vary for each individual. For me at this point in my life the ones I want to practice more are temperance and silence. I believe that at different times in my life I will practice certain ones more than others or one may apply more at that time.
    What drives me to improve is knowing that I can be better, and that I can do and achieve great things, and yes at some point I feel I will be satisfied, maybe when I feel I have made contribution to the world, made that big difference, but probably not soon.
    I learned when listening to the creedos, that everyone has a very different drive, and they are all equally important, just very different from my own, and I should accept that. And maybe that we all have something to learn from each other.

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    1. @Jayla
      I agree with you on the fact that industry and resolution somewhat go hand and hand with each other, but I wonder how the world would be so much different if everyone was employed in something useful? Would people grow tired of being important or would mankind be stuck with the same struggle because with more productivity comes more ideas, and with more ideas comes the possibility of people challenging the system because people believe that we know best?

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  22. I think that the most important virtue on Franklin’s list is industry because it is important for people to do things that they believe in; to do things that will help them improve themselves. Franklin says, “Be always employed in something useful.” Wasting precious time on unnecessary actions will only set people back. One virtue that needs to be improved is silence. Too often people don’t have a purpose for speaking. I feel that everyone is at least a little guilty of this, including myself. One should not waste words, just as they should not waste time and effort.
    Franklin is a rationalist because he is very meticulous and structured. He has a list of virtues, explanations of them, and a chart to keep track of them. He says, “I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues.” This reveals his rationalism because he tries to be logical and reasonable in his actions.
    I believe that we learn what it means to live “right” by simply living life. People make mistakes, and they should use those mistakes to guide them later in life. Life teaches us what is right and what is wrong. Each person will live their life differently, so living “right” will vary from person to person.
    Each person is different, and each person has different values and views on living a good and “right” life, so there are no specific values that one must attain to live a good life. As said above, industry and silence are very important, but they aren’t necessarily required for a good life.
    I am driven to improve because I am determined to live a successful and fulfilled life. I want to support a family and maintain a good career, so each day I try harder and harder to reach this goal. I get through the day hoping that I have made today better than yesterday, and that I can make tomorrow better than today. I think people can be satisfied depending on how hard they try, and how high their standards are.
    By listening to the creedos in class, I learned a lot. I realized that if you want to make a difference, you have to work for it. Life isn’t about expecting things to fall in front of you. It requires the effort to reach those things. I was glad that people were open to other people’s ideas. It was a nice change to hear students calmly discussing different ideas rather than arguing over which idea was better.
    How much of an impact to other people have on someone’s beliefs?

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  23. Our world today has become controlled by the idea of self image. Just the idea of Face Book or Twitter, where you can basically tell people what you are doing every minute of the day, displays this. One of Franklin’s virtues, humility, matches this in a way. People should not be looking to improve their self image, they should not be trying to “look good” in front of others. This is the most important, and also the one which needs to be improved upon. Why as a society do we champion this type of behavior? We make people idols when their character is devoid of humility; this is the problem with our world today.
    Just look at the virtues that Franklin lays out, these alone show his rational behavior. Most of them are basic and obvious virtues to follow. He does not state anything that is biased, just the truth. Obviously, something like cleanliness shows some bias, but it is impossible not to. By that account, I think Franklin is a rationalist, but only so far as being a human will let him.
    I think that every human is born with the ability to distinguish what is right. I believe that everything boils down to “Does this behavior affect another person in a negative way, or could it?” if everyone asked that question, our world would be much better off.
    I actually believe that Franklin’s virtues match my own almost perfectly. I believe that, as stated above, a good life is when you do not affect others negatively. This is impossible for humans, but attempting to attain that status of a “good” life, makes us have one. I know that sounds confusing, but it makes sense in a way. In the pursuit of gaining that status, we earn it without knowing.
    I am driven to improve by my wish to succeed. To answer the second part of that question, no, we will never be satisfied. Again, it is human nature. We as humans always wish to better ourselves, so there is no way we will ever be satisfied.
    The creedos we shared in class solidified my last thought that everyone wishes to keep improving and will never be satisfied. Most of the essays were about self improvement, relating life to the likes of climbing a mountain or running a race. You may look at this and say, “We are honors students!” However, I disagree. I believe that every human is the same way.

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    1. You say that humans are born with the ability to distinguish what is right, but William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" shows how that might not be the case. Obviously, it is just his own opinion, but I think that he was right by saying that we are naturally bad and that we learn morality as we grow up in society.
      How do you think the morals of other countries or ethnic groups are similar to ours in America? What causes the differences?

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  24. 1. Moderation is the most important of Franklin’s virtues. I believe that when Franklin drafted these virtues, he was looking to become the most well rounded person he could become. For that to happen, he needed to have master each aspect, but never forget the others while he focused on one. So, in the method of the virtues themselves, moderation is required for the success of the others, making it the one that comes first. On the other hand, I believe that resolution is the virtue that our society needs to work on the most. Whether it be national politics or the completion of homework, we struggle to complete what we strive for. Resolution is the hardest of the virtues to master, since it depends so much on the interaction and influences of others, making you responsible for the unforeseen.
    2. Franklin is a rationalist because of the way he decides to approach what he called, “our interest to be completely virtuous…” (p. 92). While most would look to faith, emotional, and psychological traits to complete this effort, Franklin used tangible personality traits. He created a list, and designed a scientific method of sorts. He describes this, recalling, “…fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then proceed to another;” (p.93). Due this very logical method of inquiry, Franklin is classified as a rationalist, since he looked for ways to solve his problems with simple, real-world solutions.
    3. Our personal definitons of “living right” come from two main outlets. The first area, and the one that forms our foundation, is family values. From a very young age, a child picks up what is right and wrong from what he or she sees in family surroundings, as well as what a parent instructs them. As we grow older, this initial foundation never leaves us, although it may be altered by the second area-personal experience. As we live in various surroundings, we take in different experiences and make a note of what consequences certain actions bring. Based on this, we can decide what we see as “right.” When these two forces have some ideals in common, those are usually the main values that we infer to be morally correct, since they have been confirmed.
    4. To me, a “good” life consists of a well-balanced approach. This means learning to understand and care for my surroundings, while also making sure that I understand myself and can thrive in these situations. With this in mind, the key virtues from Franklin’s text are Tranquility, Resolution, Justice, and Moderation. In addition, I believe virtues such as Attitude (a positive outlook on life) and Understanding (what makes oneself and society move forward) are important, even if they are more abstract and take longer to pinpoint. For the most part, I try everyday to remind myself of these characteristics, but feel like I still need to experience more of my life before I can say that I truly practice them.
    5. Personally, I am driven by the lure of a better position and understanding in life. I am constantly aware of my growing state mentally as a teen, and want to use this opportunity to make sure I can land myself in a favorable spot. This means getting into a good college and other tangible goals, but I also desire to know and comprehend the psychological values that govern societal workings. While some of these goals may have a set finish line, I already know, given my personality, that I will never truly be satisfied. I am of the belief that there is always more to gain, that the wealth of society contains too much for one person to truly master.

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  25. 6. I was intrigued by how similar many of our creedos sounded in class. Although we all had different views and experiences, we seemed to all be attracted to the significance of humanity. To me, this showed that as we slowly begin to enter and experience the workings of the real world, we are all intrigued by how we can take part, but quench the thirsts of our dreams at the same time. I quickly noted how everyone was able to connect to each other, even when specific traits were discussed. All of us have aspirations for our future, and it was interesting to see a tiny bit of these ambitions in our descriptions of how we govern ourselves.

    Why is it that we all seemed to connect to Franklin’s virtues and to each other’s creedos, when the world constantly struggles with differing opinions and personalities?

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    1. It's interesting to see how you interpreted the creedos and how it differs from how I interpreted them. I noticed how they were all different in their own ways. Hearing your perspective, I see now how they can be seen as the same. It feels very similar to the glass analogy. Is it half full or half empty?

      Are we the same deep down, or different? Does any one person interpret the world in the same way?

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  26. I believe that living with a combination of Franklin’s virtues is important, but the one that stands out to me is Justice. We all know that peace is a hard trait to achieve, and a world without justice only creates more chaos. Obviously justice is important in terms of keeping people safe, but it also is necessary to keep people earnest. This world should be a place where people don’t have to live in fear. The virtue that I think people need to work on is silence. Today there are so many conflicting opinions that we sometimes get caught up in all the commotion. In some situations, it really is better to just keep your opinions to yourself.
    Franklin is a rationalist because he has a specific set of virtues and goals that make sense to him, but also make sense to the rest of the world. He was organized and straightforward, he knew what he wanted was able to recognize his failures and his successes.
    Everyone has specific beliefs and personal experiences that shape them through everyday life. I think we learn to live “right” as we take on new challenges and accomplish certain goals. We begin to understand what success means to us as individuals and as a whole. It’s about finding balance.
    I think that there is no specific definition of a “good life”. Even though success means something different to everyone, I believe that understanding is a very important virtue. People need to understand that not everything is perfect, that people make mistakes. For me personally, I want to be honest, happy, loved, driven and true to myself. I know that I try to practice these, but sometimes it is easy to get up in the crowd or a bad decision.
    Part of what drives me is the influence of others, but also my personal goals and beliefs. I look up to other people and everything that they have accomplished and I know that I want to be like them. Not exactly like them, but I want to live my life with the same drive that they have. I don’t think that we will ever be satisfied. Progress never seems to stop, so I don’t think that we will ever be satisfied with the knowledge we have now.
    After listening to the creedos in class I learned that everyone has their own internal battles. People go through different things, but I was surprised at how much I could relate to people. I learned that different beliefs don’t have to set people apart.



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    1. How do other people influence an individuals virtues?

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  27. After reading all of Franklin's virtues, I felt that tranquility was the most important. I feel that it's extremely important to not let the little things bother you. If you let that happen, you might find your life constantly filled with stress. It's also important because the little things that bug us are everywhere. If everyone were to comment on every spelling mistake or incorrect grammar usage, we would never stop speaking. This is also the most important virtue we need to work on because I see too many people today worrying over the tiniest little things. It needs to stop.

    There are several ways to show how Franklin is a rationalist. One of these includes how Franklin maps everything out. He created his chart to keep up with his virtues. This shows that he is both logical and rational. Also, his virtues show a very realistic side to them. They are all reachable, sensible, and practical. They demostrate how his mind doesn't float to the stars.

    There are several factors that influence how we learn to live "right". The primary influence rests with our parents. They teach us how to say please and thank you,they scold us when we do something wrong, and they have a huge influence on what we believe. We also learn through the culture around us. Our culture plays a part in developing who we are.

    Many people develope different virtues, but I think some basic ones are god for everybody to have. These include being polite and curteous to others, not breaking any laws, and always being open to changes within our society. I feel that these are the "key" virtues to having a good life. I'm happy to know that I do practice these everyday, as I'm sure many of us do.

    I am always looking for ways to improve myself. I would never wish to change everything about me, but there are certain characteristics I wish were different. I find my motivation to improve in those around me. Those around me have a huge influence on who I want to aspire to be, and what I want to change about myself. But even if I did improve myself a lot, I would never be fully satisfied. I know that I will always be searching for ways to change and improve myself, even if it seems as though I've reached the limit. When it comes to improvement, there is no limit.

    When listening to the creedos shared in class, I realized that there are so many different ways to view life. Every individual has a way of interpreting the world, and it's specific only to that person. I loved seeing how each person has there own stories to tell and how they don't match up with anyone elses. We all have an amazing story, and I'm glad I got to listen to a few. They taught me that there isn't only one perspective worth listening to.

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  28. 1. The most important virtue on Franklin's list is tranquility. In my opinion, tranquility is the virtue that can help get people through their lives. If every trifle or accident was found disturbing, there is now way anyone could get through life. The virtue that I believe is the one the people need most improvement on is humility. During the class discussion of the virtues, someone brought up the thought that richer/more famous are not humble. The reason that the stereotype exists is because it is actually common in today's world. Whether the person is famous or not, humility is becoming more of an anomaly in society.
    2. Benjamin Franklin was a rationalist because he made a list of virtues to live his life by. He was always focused on improvement of himself and others. In this autobiography, Ben Franklin tells us how many faults that he has in is life that he wants to change. In the passage he quoted," I wished to live without any fault at any time," But unlike a puritan, he wanted to figure out human nature scientifically. His thirteenth virtue said simply "Humility: imitate Jesus and Socrates". He worked to make himself into the person he wanted to be.
    3. We learn what it means to live "right" through the teachings of our parents, friends, and peers. We grow up hearing our parents telling us what is acceptable for us to do and what is not acceptable for us to do. Morality is definitely not an easy term to define because there are several aspect to it, but in the dictionary it is defined as a code of conduct put forward by a society or group. But as we grow up, we also learn from experiences either good or bad. Although these experiences may alter our morals and our views of what is right or wrong, I still believe that our parents are the biggest influence on our lives.
    4. A few very important virtues that are important for a "good" life would be tranquility, resolution, kindness, and benevolence. Being able to go through life without worrying about the small things and accomplishing what you resolve to would definitely make life "good".
    5. Knowing that I can be/do whatever I want to drives me to improve myself. Also, knowing that I can help others and make their lives easier drives me to improve as much as I can! There is always room for improvement, so I don't believe that society would ever be satisfied, but there are always people that become satisfied when their own personal goals are reached.
    6. After listening to the creedos that were shared, I have noticed how similar everyone can be. In general, many of us face the same problems and the same concerns. The only difference between us are the way we handle our problems.

    How would our society change if everyone followed Franklin's virtues as well as they could?

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  29. I think that tranquility is the most import of Franklin's virtues and one that people should improve on. So many people freak over the smallest things that i think they need to evaluate a situation before they react to irrationally. If more people were to let the little things go, I think we would all benefit immensely.

    Franklin is a rationalist because his opinions are based off of reason instead of religion or much emotion. This does not mean he is emotionless or sacrilegious, he just sees things through knowledge rather than a biased point of view.

    I think that each individual learns how to live "right" in their own time through their own life experiences. How a person is raised, or the things that they have gone through really impact and shape their morals and virtues. Once these virtues are formed, then they can decide how "right" they are living. There is no universal "right" way to live because everybody is different which means that each morals are different. But once a person has formed their virtues and abides by them, I believe that they are living "right" in their eyes.

    Every person on this earth is different, and they each come with different virtues. While some may find certain virtues imperative in order to have a good life, others may find them just unnecessary. I think this is because every vision of a "good" life differs from person to person so there is no saying what each person would need in order to feel satisfied with their life.

    Finding true happiness is what drives me most of the time. I believe that my life is how I make it so if I am disgruntled with how its going then I try and change it. I don't think I will ever stop improving, because life will always be that roller coaster that brings me down, but then back up again. So each time I find myself at the bottom of a hill, I will work to make it back up to the top again, improving each time.

    I learned that everyone has worries for the future, despite their plans for it. I tried to think about why this is and thought that we were so worried because subconsciously its what we are told to be. Everyone around us frightens us for the future dishing out expectations that drive us to the anxiety of our unknown futures. I think all of this gave me more of a reason to relax every now and again, and to remember to enjoy the present while it's still here.

    How do Franklin's virtues relate to living in the moment and worrying less about the future?

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  30. The most important virtue on Franklin's list would be resolution. Many people talk the talk but fail to follow through with their promises. It is necessary to promise only what one can deliver and in turn deliver what they promise. This mindset allows people to be more trusted and well respected by sticking to their word. Although resolution is important, people need the most improvement on the virtue of silence. If folks took the time to think about what they were saying and made each conversation meaningful the world would have less issues with people talking just to hear their voice or to reiterate what someone else has already shared. People also become caught up in avoiding awkward silences. To me situations become uncomfortable when filled with meaningless small talk. It would be beneficial if everyone took an extra second to process their thoughts before sharing them with the world.

    Franklin rationalistic side shows through his virtues and ways to becoming a better person. Franklin believed in being able to accomplish his goal of self change and in order to change he mapped out a thorough system of checks to stay on track.

    To learn to live right people follow the examples set by others. Everyday the we observe the people around whether we realize it or not. By doing so we tend to pick up on similar ideals as others. We learn to live right by seeing and learning from mistakes. Many kids will be scolded by their parents or talked to by a teacher/principal for doing wrong and will learn what not to do. In a similar manner we learn what to do right by what we are praised for. Along with the people around us, families have a major role in teaching children how to live right. Kids are constantly influenced by their parents actions and must listen to their words on what is right vs. wrong.

    In order to live a "good" life one must have a basic set of virtues. I believe each person is different in what they believe are the most important virtues but they all seem somewhat similar. We should be empathetic to understand what others are going through and how their life differs from our own. We must stick to our word so we can be trusted among our neighbors. In a similar manner we must not be insincere and make sure to treat others in a positive way. Tranquility is another basic virtue we should live by. I feel so many people today are caught up in the tiniest of details. Such as the barista at Starbucks messing up their order or the wahoo on the road not using their turn signal, there are issues much larger and more important in life that we should waste going grey on. I try my best to practice these virtues in order to live a meaningful life. I would say I work the most on not getting caught up in petty things as well as sticking to my word and being empathetic.

    I am driven to improve by what I observe around me. I feel many people today have lost their values and important virtues and that is definitely not how I want to end up. I try my best everyday to be the best I can. I am fully aware nobody is perfect but I don’t use that as a crutch to be rude. I am most driven by not wanting to become like the adults I see around me. I don’t believe I will ever be satisfied nor will I ever be dissatisfied. It’s not like I believe I am a bad person or anything right now, I just know there will forever be room for improvement.

    After listening to the creedos in class I learned so much about my class mates. Kids I thought were tough became vulnerable and opened up about their life. I also learned so much about their views on life and some great quotes and points of view.

    I honestly am not sure if all of Franklin's virtues are necessarily needed. For instance, cleanliness is common sense and humility may have been placed in their to keep his own reputation. Could some of Franklin's virtues be unnecessary?

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  31. The virtue on Franklin’s list that I think is most important is justice. The idea of what Franklin presents in his argument for justice is powerful. Imagine if the world, as Franklin says, “...wrong none by doing injuries...”. Truly, this world would be a different place if that advice was followed. If the goal of humanity was not to hurt and be hurt, but instead to strive to love and forgive. Franklin touches on forgiveness in his description of justice. He explains that we should forgive others who hurt us. Once again, I think this is desperately needed in the world today. So often we hold grudges because someone hurt us. So many relationships have been ruined by the lack of forgiveness. For example, we see such an influx of divorces in the U.S. because the two people are not willing to forgive the other of harm that they have caused. Truly, the world would be a far better place if said nothing to harm others and forgave others if they harmed us.

    Franklin is obviously a rationalist for many reasons. He approaches the idea of moral perfection not with trepidation or an pie-in-the-sky dream, but instead he uses a very logical approach that makes this perfection seem easily attainable. First he arranges the list so the virtues “use rather more names, with fewer ideas annexed to each, than a few names with more ideas.”. This is a very logical, thoughtful and thus rational approach. He also uses rational and logic to solve the dilemma of how to actually achieve moral perfection. He decided instead of trying to master all the virtues at once, he would work at one until he mastered it. Then he would move to the next virtue on the list. His logical approach truly shows Franklin as a rationalist.

    While there are many opinions that state that living right means something different to everyone, I disagree. If what was right was truly different to everyone, then how would any moral code be adopted? How could we decide that murdering, for example, was wrong? If right and wrong vary by person, then can’t the murderer say that what he did was right to him? There is a moral code intrinsically embedded in humans. Therefore, I do not believe that it is society that teaches us what it means to live “right”. I believe we are born with a basic idea of right and wrong. This brings up the basic question; is there an absolute truth or right and an absolute wrong or is it really different for everyone?

    To attain a good life, I strive to attain the virtues of justice and humility. I know that it is important to forgive others as I mentioned earlier. I also believe not hurting others is additionally important to obtaining a good life. If you treat others with respect, they will treat you with it. It’s a simple moral, but very true. Therefore, I strive to achieve justice. I also believe being humble is a very important virtue. What good is it to be morally perfect if you boast and brag about it to others? This only discourages them, which is actually hurting them. Therefore, I believe the virtues that are needed to attain a “good” life are justice and humility.

    What causes me to strive to improve my life and my morals is the spirit of self-improvement. It bothers me tremendously when I mess up. I don’t like the idea of making moral mistakes, since I know it will likely end up hurting someone I care about. Thus, I am driven to improve because I don’t like who I become if I don't constantly strive for improvement. I also know that I will never be done improving. I will never attain perfection, so I will constantly be in the cycle of improvement. Even though it sounds like I am trapped, I don’t see it that way. I think that the motivation of constant improvement drives me in my life, and without that motivation my life would be pointless.

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  32. I learned many things listening to the creedos shared by many other kids in the class. I noticed that many of my classmates were confident in who they were as a person. They accepted their quirks and imperfections. They realized that those were the things that made them unique. I also saw that many students were still trying to find a deeper meaning in life. They were searching for a purpose or destination in their life. I thought it was really interesting to see this uncertainty about the meaning of life. I thought it was really thought-provoking and honest.

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  33. I think that the most important virtue on Franklin’s list is moderation. Moderation helps us enjoy life but at a rate that we don’t hurt or effect others negatively, or ourselves for that matter. We learn what it means to live “right” mostly from example. We idolize people who we believe to be perfect and try to model ourselves after them. We also learn from figures of authority in our lives such as teachers, coaches, parents, and older siblings. I think to live a “good” life you must attain the virtues that make yourself happy, without having a negative effect on others. I like to practice sincerity, justice, moderation, and temperance. I am driven to improve by knowing that I will be able to achieve a lifestyle that makes me happy. I cannot say I will ever be satisfied but if I am able to live the life I want and enjoy what I do I will go after what is needed to get to that position. While listening to the creedos shared in class I learned a lot more about the personalities of my classmates and what drives them. I got more of an understanding about how people live their lives differently and it was very insightful.

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  34. Of all of Franklin's virtues, the virtue of industry is the most important. So many people today waste time doing things that have no purpose, no end result. In order to live better lives and improve the world and ourselves we should try to always do things that have a purpose and lead us to a better future and lifestyle.If people actively tried to make sure they were always living with a purpose and doing something useful, then the world could e a much more productive place and our government and economy could improve.
    Franklin is a rationalist because he goes about improving himself in the most logical way possible. He organizes his list so it is easier to understand (fewer topics with less under each one) and uses an organized, logical setup to keep track of his progress and mistakes. He sets attainable goals and attempts to reach them in every way, doing so to improve himself before improving others.
    I think we learn what it means to live right from our parents and others who influence us growing up. As we grow, our parents tell us to treat others how we want them to treat us in return, say please and thank you, clean up after ourselves, and thousands of other simple lessons that show us the "right" way to live. Once we get old enough to make our own choices, we are also influenced by media and our friends. The shows we watch and the friends we make guide our later life choices because we strive to imitate those we admire and often what we think is "cool".
    In order to attain a "good" life, I strive to attain the virtues of industry, tranquility and order. industry and order will help me to do things with a purpose and not waste time on things which have no purpose in my life. I tend to procrastinate sometimes so by improving upon those virtues, I will be able to become more efficient and stay on task and live with purpose. I would also work on tranquility in order to not be disturbed by "trifles" and live optimistically so as to always try to avoid being disturbed by the actions of others. When I know I have a lot to do I practice order so that I will be able to get everything done with as little stress as possible.
    I am driven to improve by the potential I see for myself and the idea that if I practice these virtues and stay focused, I will be able to succeed in my life and achieve a virtuous life. I think that in order to be satisfied we must first accept our flaws and realize that no one is ever perfect, and all we can do is try to be the best person we can be, and just be happy with that journey and the satisfaction that improving ourselves brings us.
    From the creedos shared in class I learned that as humans, we will not last forever, that we should accomplish as much as we can in the short time we have in this world. I learned that in order to be happy, we must accept ourselves before we expect others to do the same, and if they do not, then we should try not to be bothered by that. I learned that we should "do" not "try", that action is better than words. Although we all come from different backgrounds and have experienced different things, we all hold close the same basic virtues, like those illustrated in "All I Ever Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten", those virtues of living a good life of respect, responsibility and kindness.
    Are virtues different between generations and over time? Do the differences between the way people live affect our basic beliefs of what it means to live a "good" life? How is it that so many of the virtues we hold close are also held by millions of others?

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    1. I think the virtues of different generations change drastically. As the society changes so does the way people live. Just like new knowledge has to be gained as society moves, so does the way you live which includes your virtues.
      The way other people live rubs off on us.If we see an act that we don't like we usually want to try to avoid doing it are self and to do that we must change the way we live.
      I think we all share some of the same beliefs because most of the virtues we hold are about making us a better person. No matter what your state or age many people wants go be good. And in a society that bases themselves off others there are certain things that are considered good and bad. Many people what to live the what society has set in place of being a "good person" and to become this good person we must live somewhat the same,depending on our situation.

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  35. 1) Franklin acknowledges many important traits that people must master to become a better person. I think one of the most important traits to master is the virtue of resolution. So many people have problems with something or someone. People cannot keep going on living with tensions between each other.
    2) I think Franklin relies on rationalism a lot. As he tries to perfect himself, but instead of doing it with feeling he decides to do it using a kind of science. As most people would do and just try to notice when there doing something wrong and not it in their mind, Franklin actually writes down when he makes a fault and then corrects himself. Having that concrete reminder really enforces him to be better.
    3) We learn what it is to live “right” by how we live every day. Not everyone believes the same things so not every ones virtues are the same. Some people would disagree about some of the virtues on Franklin’s list and might add some more depending on what they think is important. People decide on the values they want to live by by seeing how other act. If they see a kind deed don’t it might inspire them to live with that virtue as well.
    4) You must attain any number of traits to live a “good” life. Again with the virtues you need to live a “right” life, it depends on every person. I try to live my life based on my virtues, but like anyone some faults are made. When you first react to a situation your virtues on how you should live aren’t always at the front of your mind so you don’t always react the way you know you should.
    5) What drives me to improve my virtues is myself any others. I drive myself because I want to try to be a better person that I am now. It will affect my life, not others, when I am put together and ready to do what I believe in. Others drive me to improve my values because others are more likely to notice when someone is extremely put together and well tan a mean person.
    6) Not Attended.

    Are all virtues that Franklin put on his list necessarily? What are some you would take out or add in to your own virtues list?

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