Yesterday I described on this blog Franklin’s Project for Moral Perfection. He had at first only 12 character traits he wanted to perfect. Then what happened is pretty comical as he describes it:

“My list of virtues contain’d at first but twelve; but a Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride show’d itself frequently in conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent, of which he convinc’d me by mentioning several instances, I determined endeavoring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list.”

Ben didn’t think he’d had as much success with adding this virtue and said: “I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue, but I had a good deal with regard to the appearance of it!”

And then he adds this tidbit about pride: “In reality there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps often in this history [speaking about his autobiography]; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”

That’s the way Franklin wrote about humility. This whole subject illustrates his self-deprecating humor. Humble, I believe he was. Proud of his contributions to society and to science—yes, that too!

How are you doing with this virtue yourself?