One Sunday while sitting behind a young lady in the church, the Scottish Poet Robert Burns, noticed a head louse roaming around and through the bows and ribbons of the unsuspecting woman’s hat. Using his insight and understanding of human nature Burns wrote the poem “To a Louse, On Seeing One on a Lady’s Bonnet, at Church” to whimsically remind us that we need to evaluate ourselves periodically.

In the poem, Burns cleverly points out that the young lady had no idea how silly she looked with the louse parading across her finery and then concludes with recognition that one of our greatest gifts we could ever receive would be the ability to see ourselves as others see us because if we could see ourselves as others do, then we would realize our faults and be freed of many blunders.

An English translation of “To a Louse” concludes with the following:

Oh, that God would give us the very smallest of gifts
To be able to see ourselves as others see us
It would save us from many mistakes
and foolish thoughts
We would change the way we look and gesture
and to how and what we apply our time and attention.

If you took a survey of 100 Americans, they would all probably list Benjamin Franklin among America’s greatest men. As a statesman, writer, businessman, and scientist, he was noted as a man of superior character; contributing to the public good.

Yet many do not know that in his youth Franklin couldn’t help showing off his intelligence. He anticipated what people would say, then quickly remark that he’d already read all about it in a book. His high level of intelligence allowed him to see the defects in others, and his quick wit provided him with lots of opportunities to ridicule and make sarcastic remarks.

One day one of his superiors asked to speak with him. The man remarked, “I think you are a very promising young man, but you have a personality problem. Because you have a disagreeable personality, people dislike you. If you do not correct it, you cannot hope to have a successful career.” Those were hard words, but listening to the advice, he suddenly realized that he had no close friends, no true friends whom he could really trust.

Benjamin Franklin had received his gift and for the first time in his life he saw himself as others saw him. But because Benjamin Franklin was such a clever man, he immediately got the message and expressed his thanks for the advice. He acknowledged his understanding of the problem and then promised to try to correct it, asking for continued guidance.

In his pondering he had come to the conclusion that he would never succeed in life if he did not correct “his personality problem.” Based on this new understanding, he made a plan with a list of 13 virtues he followed even to the age of 79 (when he wrote about it), and he was even more determined to stick with it for his remaining days because of the happiness he had enjoyed so far by following them.

Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues

  1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.
  2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
  3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
  4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
  5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.
  6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
  7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
  8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
  9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
  10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.
  11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
  12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
  13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Do you know how others see you?