The Art of Manliness (womanliness too?) The Virtuous Life

[Solie123]

P: May I ask a question, sir? There is one thing which has preoccupied me for a long time. How should a man act towards a woman so as to be her master and make her happy? To be really master of the situation.

Gurdjieff: Your question is, what is it necessary to do. First of all you must be a man inside yourself. Every woman should feel herself a man's slave. This is the property of women, they are made that way. For that there is a law. You ought to represent the boss, the master. You should consider all things as the master. If you are like that, she, without manipulation, without anything, (it always happens) becomes your slave. Without explanations or anything, it only depends on you. If I am a man I will have a woman. This depends on what I am, what you are. If I ought to have seven wives all seven will be my slaves, perhaps because I am a man. Not only will all seven be unable to deceive me but they will tremble at the mere idea of deceiving me; they feel that they have a master. These seven women always and everywhere are my slaves. This, firstly, is what is necessary. Now secondly many other things are still necessary. What I have just said is the main thing. Now I say secondly: You are man, she is woman. Nature has given you more possibilities than to woman. You have more physical strength; everything you have more than her. Amongst all these things you have more logical thought than the woman. You should first prepare her, calm her, put her into a certain state and then logically explain to her what can happen for the future. Show her life not for today but life in a month, in a year, in five years time. As it is established on earth that if husband and wife live well together they will live a long time together, and as life is long it is necessary to explain to her what things she must not do and what she must do. If you explain to her as I have told you, she will do it.

P: One must not be angry, never negative?

Gurdjieff: You must be the opposite. Science says a woman is hysterical, she has five Fridays in one week. Man, a real man, has one Friday. Science of all epochs explains this. If you are not master of your state you do not know which Friday she has today. What you have decided, put that into her. You tell her. Even if she is at Friday number three, do the same number four or number five—do the same. If you continue a hundred times, a thousand times, she will transform herself and will receive that which you wish. You are obliged to be a man; she is obliged to fulfil her obligations as a woman. You cannot be egoist. You are a man. You ought to demand of her that she be woman. If the man is an egoist, he is merde. He wants to do everything (as it pleases him, by chance) and he expects his wife to be a woman? Little by little it can happen that she may reach the same state as him; either nature does it or it becomes established by force of law. Begin at the beginning. If she has five Fridays a week and if you, not being a man, have two or even three Fridays in a week, first of all, try, like any normal person to have only one Friday each week. When you succeed in having only one Friday, she too will have only one Saturday. Logical thought even automatically makes understandable the present, past, future and the rest. The man must be a man. Your question is very original and characteristic for everybody. A man can demand everything of his wife but he can only demand if he is, in truth, a man. If he is a man of the middle sex it is impossible. This, by the way, exists in all languages: there are two kinds of prostitutes: prostitutes in skirts and prostitutes in trousers. In trousers it is neither man nor woman—middle sex. He who always in his waking state is a man can never belong to the middle sex. Whether it be his mother, his sister or his wife, she will act as she is told to. Woman does not depend upon herself. If you are not a man then you are a prostitute and you suggest to her that which she is.
You are half a man.
[All fall silent.]

Transcripts of Gurdjieff´s Meetings 1941-1946 p. 19

Hmm... I actually have a question about the above. Considering the recent thread with Aranda Grande, I've been thinking a lot about what and how should a 'lady' act. You see, the above text from G really bothers me, because it seems to be saying almost explicitly that women are of possession. Perhaps my clairvoyance skills aren't too good and I can't see beyond the obvious here. Maybe G was conveying a message to that individual that shouldn't necessarily be taken literal, or is there some truth to his statements?

In risking being too linear and methodical, I think it would be nice to discuss what are the attributes that we, as children of the work, should be trying to embody, as women, or as men.

 

[StrangeCaptain]

Hmm... I actually have a question about the above. Considering the recent thread with Aranda Grande, I've been thinking a lot about what and how should a 'lady' act. You see, the above text from G really bothers me, because it seems to be saying almost explicitly that women are of possession. Perhaps my clairvoyance skills aren't too good and I can't see beyond the obvious here. Maybe G was conveying a message to that individual that shouldn't necessarily be taken literal, or is there some truth to his statements?

In risking being too linear and methodical, I think it would be nice to discuss what are the attributes that we, as children of the work, should be trying to embody, as women, or as men.

Yeah... I was kind of shocked by this quote as well, but I suppose G could have been as affected by his times as anyone.

 

[Hesper]

Hmm... I actually have a question about the above. Considering the recent thread with Aranda Grande, I've been thinking a lot about what and how should a 'lady' act. You see, the above text from G really bothers me, because it seems to be saying almost explicitly that women are of possession. Perhaps my clairvoyance skills aren't too good and I can't see beyond the obvious here. Maybe G was conveying a message to that individual that shouldn't necessarily be taken literal, or is there some truth to his statements?

In risking being too linear and methodical, I think it would be nice to discuss what are the attributes that we, as children of the work, should be trying to embody, as women, or as men.

I think we have to take some things G said with a grain of salt. He lived in a different era and had to expose people steeped in that culture to his ideas. The entire purpose of his answer could have been to illustrate to this man that he is not a man, he is only half a man - to shock him.

So I don't think we should think about it in that way, that woman is a 'slave to man'. Especially in the Work, where the ultimate aim is to escape our mechanical slavery. One way that can be conceptualized is through the cultivation of virtue and the elimination of vice, or repeated wrong-doing.

So I think that the virtues are still the attributes that we should all be trying to embody, regardless of gender. From Laura's original post:

Temperance

Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

Silence

Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; Avoid trifling Conversation.

Order

Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

Resolution

Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality

Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

Industry

Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

Sincerity

Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

Justice

Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Moderation

Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

Cleanliness

Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

Tranquility

Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

Chastity

Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

Humility

Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

 

[Solie123]

Forgive me that I can't quote, due to the fact that I am on my phone, but I was thinking along the same lines Hesper. I know G at times said things that were specific for that perticular student, so I couldn't imagine taking that passage literal. I also find the virtues that Laura posted are attributes that we should all being trying to embody. Thinking about it now, my question was kind of silly. I was thinking about specific conduct of members of both genders, but taking a second look at the virtues, I realize that those guidelines are actually pretty specific, as well as very applicable.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Hesper]

The work of being more virtuous is an interesting one. Right off the bat one realizes that one must use the virtues to acquire the virtues. They do not just happen. But how do we acquire them? And how useful are they?

Benjamin Franklin recounts his own strategy in his Autobiography - to tackle one virtue at a time and to progress from there. It can be found here: _http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/benjamin_franklin_-_autobiography_of_benjamin_franklin.pdf

The portion on virtues begins about page 213 of the book itself, 222 of the google doc. He tackles them beginning with Temperance, then Silence, then Order, then Resolution, Frugality, and Industry. The method he used entailed using a sheet like this:

Franklin would proceed to work a week at a time on the respective virtue. Day after day he would record his failings. If a week passed and he had no marks in the line, he would move onto the next virtue to focus on.

The one thing that Franklin did that was very apparent is he defined his terms and operationalized how they would appear in his life. If one wants to apply the virtues to one's life, like anything else, they benefit from being operationalized. From Wikipedia:

In research design, especially in psychology, social sciences, life sciences, and physics, operationalization is a process of defining the measurement of a phenomenon that is not directly measurable, though its existence is indicated by other phenomena. Operationalization is thus the process of defining a fuzzy concept so as to make it clearly distinguishable, measurable, and understandable in terms of empirical observations.

I would think that, to begin with, we could attempt to practice the virtue of Order. As one website defines it,

Value your time. Do not rely on your memory to recall scheduled events. Use some sort of calendar or planner to record and organize your work, activities, appointments, and so on. Google Calendar is a good free tool for tech lovers and you can set it up to send you reminders in text message or email form. A simple wall calendar, desk calendar, or planner can accomplish the job as well if you work in primarily one area. Personally, I record my schedule in Google Calendar because it’s with me all the time and I’m often out of the office. Make sure your choice fits your lifestyle and workday.

Use your calendar to track deadlines, dates that bills must be paid, birthdays, etc. You’ll rarely, if ever, forget any appointment or event again once you form the habit of using a calendar.

We must schedule time to do our work, chores, household tasks, and leisure time. The schedule doesn’t have to be set in stone, if you feel like working when you’ve scheduled leisure, switch the two. Do not eliminate one for the other unless necessary. This is where resolution comes into play. Some people, like James Maa, have every hour of their day scheduled and others, like myself, are somewhere in the middle. As long as your calendar isn’t blank, you’re on the right track. If you hired someone to help you accomplish your life goals and that person spent 4 hours a day watching Jersey Shore, you’d probably fire that person. We must make sure that we do not live like those we would fire.

So, for example, using the virtue of order, one can begin to give the time and balance needed to acquire the other virtues as well. Once this is firmly established we could go from there, proceeding from the virtue we feel is most easily in our grasp to the one most difficult, building steam as we go.

So in the end it seems we must first understand what the virtues mean. We need to be specific and 'actionable' about what it is we're looking for so that we can know when we erred and when we succeeded. For example, take Franklin's virtue of Tranquility. We see that there are times in our life that we are disturbed by things that should not really disturb or surprise us. We waste energy on them anyways. We can research into the possible causes of this - diet, psychological hang-ups, etc. Then we can move into the intervention phase aimed at restoring Tranquility. We can observe ourselves in the moment and in hindsight and see if we were successful or not.

In the process we implement what we have learned about ourselves - our body and our machine. We implement what the C's talked about when they told us to learn, on a daily basis, about the body and physical environment, wider social issues, and cosmic/spiritual issues. We implement them.

 

[Yas]

Thanks Hesper! That's really helpful.

Recently I decided to try using Frankling's method. I always feel that I haven't got enough time but considering how others with much more to do than I can still accomplish quite a lot, I decided I needed to focus on some schedule and really do my best to follow it. Since all the these virtues are good to practise, I made a sheet similar to the one you embedded above and, for now (I only started one week ago), I'm focusing on Order, while I keep all the others in mind as well. And I've made a schedule for each day which I try to follow to the best of my ability.

So far it's being helpful, at least in reminding myself every night of the virtues I want to develop in my life. And it is good to have this little moment of assessment and to define some smaller goals for my everyday life.

I realised operationalization is important, although I didn't know that concept , I just noticed that it's hard to assess something if I don't know what it means or the definition is a bit fuzzy (silly me!). So in order to assess each virtue every night, it's better if you define them in a way that you understand and that is precise. That also helps in setting clear goals, OSIT.

I'm starting with these 13 virtues now, but I thought that it'll be good to add the 10 Commandments of Character to my sheet later on. I guess that maybe, while one works on these, one can find virtues or traits that are more difficult, and focus on those for a while.

 

[PhoenixToEmber]

Been reading this thread and it seems like a good idea to try Franklin's method. It's practical and systematic, and I think I may personally need something like this - a structured way of monitoring progress as well as setbacks in trying to become a better person.

The work of being more virtuous is an interesting one. Right off the bat one realizes that one must use the virtues to acquire the virtues. They do not just happen. But how do we acquire them? And how useful are they?

Benjamin Franklin recounts his own strategy in his Autobiography - to tackle one virtue at a time and to progress from there. It can be found here: _http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/benjamin_franklin_-_autobiography_of_benjamin_franklin.pdf

The portion on virtues begins about page 213 of the book itself, 222 of the google doc. He tackles them beginning with Temperance, then Silence, then Order, then Resolution, Frugality, and Industry. The method he used entailed using a sheet like this:

Franklin would proceed to work a week at a time on the respective virtue. Day after day he would record his failings. If a week passed and he had no marks in the line, he would move onto the next virtue to focus on.

For anyone interested, I found this book on Amazon called Benjamin Franklin's Book of Virtues, which appears to be, according to the description, the virtues portion mentioned here extracted from his autobiography and printed on its own. Haven't gotten a copy yet, but I plan to and thought I'd share it here.

P: May I ask a question, sir? There is one thing which has preoccupied me for a long time. How should a man act towards a woman so as to be her master and make her happy? To be really master of the situation.

Gurdjieff: Your question is, what is it necessary to do. First of all you must be a man inside yourself. Every woman should feel herself a man's slave. This is the property of women, they are made that way. For that there is a law. You ought to represent the boss, the master. You should consider all things as the master. If you are like that, she, without manipulation, without anything, (it always happens) becomes your slave. Without explanations or anything, it only depends on you. If I am a man I will have a woman. This depends on what I am, what you are. If I ought to have seven wives all seven will be my slaves, perhaps because I am a man. Not only will all seven be unable to deceive me but they will tremble at the mere idea of deceiving me; they feel that they have a master. These seven women always and everywhere are my slaves. This, firstly, is what is necessary. Now secondly many other things are still necessary. What I have just said is the main thing. Now I say secondly: You are man, she is woman. Nature has given you more possibilities than to woman. You have more physical strength; everything you have more than her. Amongst all these things you have more logical thought than the woman. You should first prepare her, calm her, put her into a certain state and then logically explain to her what can happen for the future. Show her life not for today but life in a month, in a year, in five years time. As it is established on earth that if husband and wife live well together they will live a long time together, and as life is long it is necessary to explain to her what things she must not do and what she must do. If you explain to her as I have told you, she will do it.

P: One must not be angry, never negative?

Gurdjieff: You must be the opposite. Science says a woman is hysterical, she has five Fridays in one week. Man, a real man, has one Friday. Science of all epochs explains this. If you are not master of your state you do not know which Friday she has today. What you have decided, put that into her. You tell her. Even if she is at Friday number three, do the same number four or number five—do the same. If you continue a hundred times, a thousand times, she will transform herself and will receive that which you wish. You are obliged to be a man; she is obliged to fulfil her obligations as a woman. You cannot be egoist. You are a man. You ought to demand of her that she be woman. If the man is an egoist, he is merde. He wants to do everything (as it pleases him, by chance) and he expects his wife to be a woman? Little by little it can happen that she may reach the same state as him; either nature does it or it becomes established by force of law. Begin at the beginning. If she has five Fridays a week and if you, not being a man, have two or even three Fridays in a week, first of all, try, like any normal person to have only one Friday each week. When you succeed in having only one Friday, she too will have only one Saturday. Logical thought even automatically makes understandable the present, past, future and the rest. The man must be a man. Your question is very original and characteristic for everybody. A man can demand everything of his wife but he can only demand if he is, in truth, a man. If he is a man of the middle sex it is impossible. This, by the way, exists in all languages: there are two kinds of prostitutes: prostitutes in skirts and prostitutes in trousers. In trousers it is neither man nor woman—middle sex. He who always in his waking state is a man can never belong to the middle sex. Whether it be his mother, his sister or his wife, she will act as she is told to. Woman does not depend upon herself. If you are not a man then you are a prostitute and you suggest to her that which she is.
You are half a man.
[All fall silent.]

Transcripts of Gurdjieff´s Meetings 1941-1946 p. 19

Hmm... I actually have a question about the above. Considering the recent thread with Aranda Grande, I've been thinking a lot about what and how should a 'lady' act. You see, the above text from G really bothers me, because it seems to be saying almost explicitly that women are of possession. Perhaps my clairvoyance skills aren't too good and I can't see beyond the obvious here. Maybe G was conveying a message to that individual that shouldn't necessarily be taken literal, or is there some truth to his statements?

In risking being too linear and methodical, I think it would be nice to discuss what are the attributes that we, as children of the work, should be trying to embody, as women, or as men.

I think we have to take some things G said with a grain of salt. He lived in a different era and had to expose people steeped in that culture to his ideas. The entire purpose of his answer could have been to illustrate to this man that he is not a man, he is only half a man - to shock him.

So I don't think we should think about it in that way, that woman is a 'slave to man'. Especially in the Work, where the ultimate aim is to escape our mechanical slavery. One way that can be conceptualized is through the cultivation of virtue and the elimination of vice, or repeated wrong-doing.

I was also taken aback by Gurdjieff's words in that quote - I wasn't sure how to interpret it. Like, is it sexist or...? I suppose it does help to contextualize it in the time period Gurdjieff wrote, or he may have meant something different than what it sounds like.

 

[Hesper]

Been reading this thread and it seems like a good idea to try Franklin's method. It's practical and systematic, and I think I may personally need something like this - a structured way of monitoring progress as well as setbacks in trying to become a better person.

Sounds like a great idea. It can be difficult but it pays off.

Recently I decided to try using Frankling's method. I always feel that I haven't got enough time but considering how others with much more to do than I can still accomplish quite a lot, I decided I needed to focus on some schedule and really do my best to follow it. Since all the these virtues are good to practise, I made a sheet similar to the one you embedded above and, for now (I only started one week ago), I'm focusing on Order, while I keep all the others in mind as well. And I've made a schedule for each day which I try to follow to the best of my ability.

That's a big step forward Yas, any observations from the first weeks?

More on Franklin's method of practicing one virtue at a time - the ancient Stoics seemed to believe that, if one has one virtue, one has them all. This is due to their theological view of human nature. As Christof Jedan writes in his book "Stoic Virtues" p. 98:

The analyses in Part Two...have made it abundantly clear that the Stoics set high the standards or the possession of virtue. Accordingly, the Stoics held that virtue was an extremely rare possession. Hardly anyone, perhaps even no human being, had ever been a sage. The Stoics were not even prepared to claim that one of the foremost members of their own school deserved this title. Furthermore, for the Stoics there was no intermediate state between virtue and vice: a sharp dichotomy separates the wise and the vicious. Whereas the possession of virtue is tantamount to happiness, the possession of vice makes an agent utterly unhappy. The Stoics describe the vicious with insulting terms: they are 'stupid', 'foolish', 'impious', 'lawless', or even 'mad'...

I want to suggest here that the Stoic dichotomy between virtue and vice is informed by a religious conception of virtue as knowledge. The possession of virtue is linked to taking a unique perspective, namely God's perspective on the world. If something can be seen from one position only then approximation to that position brings us closer to seeing that thing but nevertheless we cannot see it until we have taken that position. This renders understandable why the Stoics viewed the possession of virtue as an all-or-nothing affair and maximized the contrast between virtue and vice: one either takes that unique position and sees completely or one does not take it and in consequences does not see things 'straight'.

Clearly it's a process. By growing in Knowledge and Being, and learning about and practicing the virtues can certainly be part of this, we aren't just building 'willpower' or acquiring the virtues for their own sake. We become different people, more like who we choose to be rather than who we are programmed to be. Thus, from my understanding, by practicing one we will find it easier to 'grow' into the others.

Another virtue more in-depth: Temperance

Temperance is defined as moderation or voluntary self-restraint. It is typically described in terms of what an individual voluntarily refrains from doing. This includes restraint from retaliation in the form of non-violence and forgiveness, restraint from arrogance in the form of humility and modesty, restraint from excesses such as splurging now in the form of prudence, and restraint from excessive anger or craving for something in the form of calmness and self-control.

In its form as 'Moderation' in Taoist philosophy:

Moderation is considered a key part of one's personal development in Chinese Taoist philosophy and religion and is one of the three jewels of Taoist thought. There is nothing that cannot be moderated including one's actions, one's desires and even one's thoughts. [...]It can also be recursive in that one should moderate how much one moderates (i.e. to not be too worried about moderating everything or not to try too hard in finding a middle ground).

Moderation as a principle of Taoist philosophy turns up in all three of its main texts.

 

[Yas]

Recently I decided to try using Frankling's method. I always feel that I haven't got enough time but considering how others with much more to do than I can still accomplish quite a lot, I decided I needed to focus on some schedule and really do my best to follow it. Since all the these virtues are good to practise, I made a sheet similar to the one you embedded above and, for now (I only started one week ago), I'm focusing on Order, while I keep all the others in mind as well. And I've made a schedule for each day which I try to follow to the best of my ability.

That's a big step forward Yas, any observations from the first weeks?

I'm sorry for the late reply.

Well, what I noticed so far is that it gives me a good tool to remain focused during the day. To remember myself, so to say.

Instead of assessing how I applied the virtues before sleeping at night, I'm doing it the next morning, so I think about yesterday and remind myself of the virtues in the morning. So far, I'm getting better at Order, but still haven't got a flawless week So I'll keep on focusing on that one for now.

Another virtue more in-depth: Temperance

Temperance is defined as moderation or voluntary self-restraint. It is typically described in terms of what an individual voluntarily refrains from doing. This includes restraint from retaliation in the form of non-violence and forgiveness, restraint from arrogance in the form of humility and modesty, restraint from excesses such as splurging now in the form of prudence, and restraint from excessive anger or craving for something in the form of calmness and self-control.

A long time ago, I was thinking about the symbol of temperance represented as a symbol similar to the Aquarius one. It's represented as a person (normally a female) passing water from one recipient to the other. It might be silly but, once, when I was doing this (passing water from the water recipient in the fridge to a bottle I used to take to my room at night) I realised that, in order to do this properly, you need:

Patience: If you don't have patience the water will go too fast and spill.
Concentration (or focus): If there is no concentration, the water loses its course and overflows
Balance: If there is no balance, we totter and the water falls everywhere.

I know, the symbol doesn't necessarily mean that, but for me it made a lot of sense and, since then, it became a meaning of temperance.

fwiw... :)

 

[Cosmos]

I think we should change that last one to "Imitate Caesar and Socrates."

How about adding Putin in there too? At least for me he is a great example in many aspects and especially in his interactions with others and how disciplined he is with himself. He is alive too and so you can watch and learn from him in action every day, which has a lot of benefits as well. Plus you can regularly try to put yourself into his shoes and see how trivial and pathetic your own little problems really are, compared to the responsibility he has to shoulder every waking minute.

 

[lids4321]

Putin is exemplary and he makes western leaders look like a circus act.

 

[PERLOU]

PhoenixPhilal : Merci pour le titre "Les 13 Vertus De L'Homme : 13 Leçons De Virilité" Inspirées De Benjamin Franklin que je viens de m'offrir sur Amazon France, c'était le dernier exemplaire...

PhoenixPhilal: Thank you for the title "The 13 Virtues Of Man: 13 Lessons Of Virility" Inspired Benjamin Franklin I just offered me on Amazon France, it was the last copy ...

 

[PERLOU]

Merci Laura et tous les autres pour vos commentaires et liens que j'ai tous copiés après la traduction Google en Français...
Encore une page que je découvre... Merci à tous... Partagé sur ma page Facebook, Google+ et Twitter.

Thank you Laura and all the others for your comments and links that I have all copied after the Google translation in French ...
Another page that I discover ... Thank you all ... Shared on my Facebook, Google+ and Twitter page.

 

[Ina]

I wonder, what about the Art of Womanliness? What separates a woman's character from a man's? I had a vague sense of 'not much' being the answer, so I went to look for a list of character traits. I found it on _http://www.character-training.com/blog/list-of-character-traits/. Suffice to say, personally I would not agree to practice all of the below as per the description given (see strike-through items).
Nevertheless, the list follows:

Alertness – Being aware of what is taking place around me so I can have the right responses.
Attentiveness – Showing the worth of a person or task by giving my undivided concentration. (see more)
Availability – Making my own schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those I serve.
Benevolence – Giving to others basic needs without having as my motive personal reward.
Boldness – Confidence that what I have to say or do is true, right, and just.
Cautiousness – Knowing how important right timing is in accomplishing right actions.
Compassion – Investing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts of others.
Contentment – Realizing that true happiness does not depend on material conditions.
Creativity – Approaching a need, a task, or an idea from a new perspective.
Decisiveness – The ability to recognize key factors and finalize difficult decisions.
Deference – Limiting my freedom so I do not offend the tastes of those around me.
Dependability – Fulfilling what I consented to do, even if it means unexpected sacrifice.
Determination – Purposing to accomplish right goals at the right time, regardless of the opposition.
Diligence – Investing my time and energy to complete each task assigned to me.
Discernment – Understanding the deeper reasons why things happen.
Discretion – Recognizing and avoiding words, actions, and attitudes that could bring undesirable consequences.
Endurance – The inward strength to withstand stress and do my best.
Enthusiasm – Expressing joy in each task as I give it my best effort.
Faith – Confidence that actions rooted in good character will yield the best outcome, even when I cannot see how.
Flexibility – Willingness to change plans or ideas according to the direction of my authorities.
Forgiveness – Clearing the record of those who have wronged me and not holding a grudge.
Generosity – Carefully managing my resources so I can freely give to those in need.
Gentleness – Showing consideration and personal concern for others.
Gratefulness – Letting others know by my words and actions how they have benefited my life.
Honor – Respecting those in leadership because of the higher authorities they represent.
Hospitality – Cheerfully sharing food, shelter, or conversation to benefit others.
Humility – Acknowledging that achievement results from the investment of others in my life.
Initiative – Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it.
Joyfulness – Maintaining a good attitude, even when faced with unpleasant conditions.
Justice – Taking personal responsibility to uphold what is pure, right, and true.
Loyalty – Using difficult times to demonstrate my commitment to those I serve.
Meekness – Yielding my personal rights and expectations with a desire to serve.
Obedience – Quickly and cheerfully carrying out the direction of those who are responsible for me.
Orderliness – Arranging myself and my surroundings to achieve greater efficiency.
Patience – Accepting a difficult situation without giving a deadline to remove it.
Persuasiveness – Guiding vital truths around another’s mental roadblocks.
Punctuality – Showing esteem for others by doing the right thing at the right time.
Resourcefulness – Finding practical uses for that which others would overlook or discard.
Responsibility – Knowing and doing what is expected of me.
Security – Structuring my life around that which cannot be destroyed or taken away.
Self-Control – Rejecting wrong desires and doing what is right.
Sensitivity – Perceiving the true attitudes and emotions of those around me.
Sincerity – Eagerness to do what is right with transparent motives.
Thoroughness – Knowing what factors will diminish the effectiveness of my work or words if neglected.
Thriftiness – Allowing myself and others to spend only what is necessary.
Tolerance – Realizing that everyone is at varying levels of character development.
Truthfulness – Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts. Rather being realistic or true (true to yourself as well).
Virtue – The moral excellence evident in my life as I consistently do what is right.
Wisdom – Seeing and responding to life situations from a perspective that transcends my current circumstances.

To that I would add:
Calmness - Keeping a state or quality of being free from agitation or strong emotion.
Integrity - Applying a personal choice to hold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards.
Perseverance - Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Anyway, undoubtedly the society at large is surely grateful to men for creating the above definitions and the the notion of character traits. What about the women?Are the women 'seen'/acknowledged when they are exhibiting the same character traits? Or it is a 'It doesn't matter anyway!' situation?

 

[Atreides]

Is there a book that expands on the 13 B. Franklin topics?

Reminds of the Law of Success by Hill but has a different taste to it a more how do I say no motive besides being a better being. I feel that in achieving a goal or following advice, book and so on it is important to do so while asking yourself is this good for me? Will I develop blind spots, attachments will I suffer in other ways? This seems like a healthy way mind, body soul of interacting with and maneuvering through life

It's worthwhile to read his biography.