Pursuit: The Founders' Guide to Happiness Episode 2: Expansive Temperance with Benjamin Franklin
Sep 16, 2025
This discussion features Stacy Schiff, a biographer and Franklin scholar, and Ken Burns, an acclaimed filmmaker. They dive into Benjamin Franklin's quest for self-improvement through his list of virtues, especially the significance of temperance. Schiff reveals how Franklin’s youthful challenges shaped this idea into a lifelong practice. Burns reflects on the impact of Franklin's civic virtues on his own life, emphasizing the importance of controlling thoughts and embracing humility in the journey towards personal growth.
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Temperance As Foundation For Virtue
- Benjamin Franklin prioritized temperance because a sober mind enables all other virtues.
- Temperance for Franklin meant restraint in eating, drinking, and calming passions to support moral work.
Franklin's Early Moral Reckoning
- Franklin began his virtues project in his twenties after recognizing personal faults like borrowing money and seducing a friend's girlfriend.
- He tracked virtues weekly but admitted he rarely completed the regimen, though the practice kept him mindful.
Use Daily Questions To Shape Behavior
- Practice daily self-reflection by asking "What good shall I do today?" and "What good did I do today?".
- Use focused, repeatable rituals to fold virtues into everyday life even if you can't be perfect.
