(Arriving at Moral Perfection by Ben Franklin)
It was about this weekend that I conceived the bold and tedious project of arriving at moral perfection. I was told to try and live without committing any fault at any time, or getting any B’s in any classes; I would conquer all that either procrastination, indulgence, disinterest, or apathy might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see the impossibility in attempting to be truly morally perfect. But I soon found that I had undertaken a task of more difficulty and more structured imagination than I had guessed. Procrastination was often too strong for the willingness to complete a certain English project in a timely manner. A need for joy was too strong to stay at home and get some much-needed rest on a three-day weekend.
In order to sum up my admittedly lame efforts, I have created a list of virtues that recently have proved themselves to be desirable in my seventeen-year-old life:
1. Drive. Do not wait until the last possible second to do things. Don’t watch hours upon hours of Law and Order marathons while putting off that chemistry lab write-up all day.
2. Friendship. Maintain friendships and make new ones.
3. Priorities. Don’t lose focus on what’s important. And that doesn’t always mean sacrificing your time for schoolwork.
4. Love. Speaks for itself.
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4 comments:
I like your writing because its very clear and interesting. I was able to understand it easily.
-Sadia Abdella
If only I could maintain such standards in my life... That Ben Franklin was just too much.
- Andrew Kennard
I really like the line about how love speaks for itself. Its very fitting and accurate and almost poetic.
Lena Rubinstein
Nice pastiche, it was easy to understand and comprehend. I personally thought your virtue list was great and applicable. Virtue 3 on the list was my favorite, that really touched me.
-Bria
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