The Three Virtues

     Attempting to follow Benjamin Franklin’s road to perfection, I chose three virtues; frugality, industry, and tranquility. For three days I tried to contain myself according to these three virtues.

     Frugality means “Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.” I chose frugality because I wanted to test my will power when it comes to stopping myself from buying unnecessary objects. I respect my parent’s time and money therefore I pushed myself to spend wisely. I love to shop but I was able to ignore my desire for new shoes and clothing in order to pull through. I spent money on a good case such as the Syrian relief in order to help the innocent but I did not make any expense on something that was unnecessary at the moment. I was able to succeed because I realized that it is important to prevent myself from going to the extreme at all times by controlling myself, especially during a time like this where economy is at its lowest. Soon I will be working and it is important to know money’s worth before it is too late. I kept reminding myself that I am not lacking any necessity; therefore I do not need to purchase something that will not make a difference in my life. 

     The second virtue was industry. The virtue of industry is the idea of getting rid of all distractions ad focusing on being productive throughout the day. I chose industry because I love to on”Instagram” and watch my Armenian soap operas rather than completing an important homework. I was not successful while attempting to follow this beneficial virtue because instead of completing my difficult biology lap report on Friday and Saturday, I decided to watch my Armenian Soap Operas and chat on the phone with Mariam. I am used to all the procrastination and unnecessary distractions therefore I prefer watching television rather than completing a useful task. I failed because I kept reminding myself that it is a weekend and I have Sunday to complete my work.

     Tranquility is the third virtue I chose. Tranquility is the idea of keeping calm during incidents that are bound to occur. The reason I chose tranquility is because I tend to get annoyed quickly which results in losing my temper. I always wanted to try to keep calm even when unwanted events occur, but unfortunately this virtue was hard to complete. On Thursday afternoon, my friends and I visited ever class in order to collect donations for the Syrian relief organization and that was the moment I forgot about holding back from yelling. The students began to make fun of the cause and I have no tolerance for stupidity, therefore I yelled at some of the immature students. I was not successful because I am the type of person who cannot act calmly when extremely bothered. It is not possible for me to act peaceful and calm under certain circumstances.