Benjamin Franklin wrote the book “The Art of Virtue” to help others understand that being true to oneself is being virtuous. Of course he also wrote this Autobiography, “Poor Richard’s Almanac”, and his book about Electricity. Several times he describes his “project for moral perfection, which he worked on all his life to improve his own character.

He gave us much sage advice, some of which we still quote today (early to bed . . .). He showed us how important it is to have character, or moral excellence and firmness. Not only by his writings, but by the life he lived.

John C. Maxwell, a motivational writer and speaker gave his own advice in his The Ten Commandments of Human Relations:
1. Speak to people
2. Smile at people
3. Call people by name
4. Be friendly and helpful
5. Be cordial
6. Have a genuine interest in people
7. Be generous with praise
8. Be considerate of the feelings of others
9. Be thoughtful of the opinions of others
10. Be alert to give service

Good recommendations. But I still like Benjamin Franklin’s thirteen character traits to work on to achieve moral perfection!