Chase The Kangaroo

Revisiting Ben Franklin’s Moral Compass in a Modern World

In 1726, at the age of 20, Benjamin Franklin crafted a personal system of moral improvement based on 13 virtues. He wasn’t interested in abstract ideals—he wanted practical wisdom he could live by. Franklin laid out these virtues in a simple list, then built a structured habit-tracking system to master one each week, cycling through all thirteen every thirteen weeks.

I’ve decided to follow in his footsteps.

Why?

Because the more noise we navigate in modern life i.e. newsfeeds, dopamine loops, self-improvement hacks, the more I find myself drawn to the quiet gravity of old wisdom. Franklin’s list isn’t flashy, but it’s precise. It’s not about perfection, it’s about clarity, discipline, and integrity.

How It Works

Over the next 13 weeks, I’ll focus on one virtue per week. Franklin’s original plan was simple:

• Track all 13 virtues daily.
• Devote focused attention to mastering one virtue each week.
• Strive for self-awareness, not self-condemnation.
• Start each day with a clean slate—failures are marked, but not carried.

I’ve adopted this same system. I’m using a virtue tracker (yes, Franklin had a version of the bullet journal before it was cool) and at the end of each week, I’ll reflect on what I learned—both from Franklin and from my own wrestling with the virtue.

This series will document those reflections.

Franklin’s 13 Virtues

1. Week 1 | Temperance – “Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.”
   Franklin began with Temperance, believing it created the clarity and self-control needed for every other virtue. This week I explored moderation—not only in food and drink, but in media, time, and attention.
   
2. Week 2 | Silence – “Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.”
   Silence is not about muteness, but about purpose. Franklin urged intentional speech, listening more than talking, and avoiding idle chatter. This week I reflected on how noise distracts us, and how purposeful silence can deepen conversations and focus.
   
3. Week 3 | Order – “Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.”
   Franklin confessed Order was his hardest virtue, but he pursued it anyway. This week I faced my own piles of papers, digital clutter, and unfinished projects. Order is not perfection—it is clarity, margin, and peace.
   
4. Week 4 | Resolution – “Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”
   Resolution is the bridge between intention and action. This week I reflected on the power of keeping commitments, big and small, and the cost of distraction and delay. Resolution builds trust with ourselves and others.
   
5. Week5 | Frugality – “Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself.”
   Frugality is not stinginess but stewardship. Franklin saw it as a way to direct resources toward what truly matters. This week I’ll reflect on generosity, simplicity, and resisting the waste that clutters both pocketbooks and lives.
   
6. Week 6 | Industry – “Lose no time; be always employed in something useful.”
   Franklin’s sixth virtue calls us to diligence, usefulness, and intention. Roosevelt called it the “strenuous life.” This week explores what it means to work faithfully at work worth doing—and how to balance labor with purpose and rest.
   
7. Week 7 | Sincerity – “Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly.”
   For Franklin, Sincerity was about truth in word and heart. No games. No manipulation. This week’s reflections explore honesty, trust, and the courage to let your yes be yes and your no be no.
   
8. Week 8 | Justice – “Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.”
   Justice, for Franklin, was more than avoiding harm—it was the active duty of doing good. This week I’ll explore fairness, responsibility, and what it means to live justly in relationships, work, and community.
   Justice vs Fairness – Companion article to Justice.
   
9. Week 9 | Moderation – “Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.”
   Moderation balances passion with restraint. Franklin urged against overreaction and extremes. This week I’ll reflect on tempering responses, choosing the middle path, and cultivating steadiness in a world addicted to outrage.
   
10. Week 10 | Cleanliness – “Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.”
    Cleanliness is not vanity—it is respect for self and others. Franklin tied outward order to inner discipline. This week’s focus is on how physical environments and habits shape spiritual and emotional clarity.
    
11. Week 11 | Tranquility – “Be not disturbed at trifles or accidents common or unavoidable.”
    Tranquility is the ability to keep peace of mind amid life’s storms. Franklin saw it as the antidote to needless agitation. This week I’ll reflect on patience, perspective, and living unshaken in a noisy, restless world.
    
12. Week 12 | Chastity – “Rarely use venery but for health or offspring… never to the injury of yourself or others.”
    Franklin’s phrasing may feel dated, but his concern was integrity in relationships and restraint in desire. This week’s reflection explores self-mastery, faithfulness, and the deeper freedom found in purity of body and heart.
    
13. Week 13 | Humility – “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”
    Franklin placed Humility last, not because it was least, but because it was hardest. True humility is quiet strength, not self-deprecation. This week I’ll close the series by exploring what it means to walk in wisdom, gentleness, and grace.

Agency | The Virtue Underneath The Virtues

Why Now?

Because the work of virtue is never finished. And because I want to live more intentionally. I want to live more like someone who knows who they are, what they stand for, and where they’re going. This isn’t a self-help sprint. It’s a slow walk through old ground with fresh eyes.

Each week, I’ll post a short essay on the virtue I practiced, how Franklin framed it, how it played out in my life, and what it might mean today.

Let’s see what thirteen weeks of ancient discipline looks like in the digital age.