When Benjamin Franklin was twenty-seven years old, he strongly desired to improve his life, so he identified the most universal of all truths by which he could live. He identified thirteen essential virtues: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility.
Franklin’s list is excellent but hardly comprehensive. There is no one set of agreed upon virtues for all people across all time. For instance, in Buddhism, although there are numerous schools of thought, one popular list of virtues includes kindness, compassion, joy, generosity, proper conduct, wisdom, energy, patience, honesty, determination, good will, and equanimity.
Likewise, Christian virtues as stated in the Bible include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. According to the Hindu scholar, Manusamhita, Hinduism has essentially five main virtues: non-violence, self-restraint, non-covetousness/non-stealing, inner purity, and truthfulness.
The ancient Greek philosophers, including Socrates and the Stoics, said there are four cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance.
Recently, professors Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson undertook a comprehensive three-year study to catalog all the virtues around the globe, including different cultures, countries, and religions over the span of three millennia. They identified twenty-four universal character strengths, all of which fell under six main virtues:
1. Wisdom,
2. Courage,
3. Justice,
4. Humanity,
5. Temperance, and
6. Transcendence.
Drs. Seligman and Peterson noted just how much similarity and congruence there is when it comes to virtues and character. All the great cultures, religions, and philosophies, essentially share the same virtues. The bottom line from this detailed survey on virtues is there is substantial agreement across all cultures and all times on what makes a virtuous person and what constitutes character strengths.
Want to truly and permanently change your life for the better? There is simply no better way than to committing to act with virtue, starting today.