Character: what history's greatest minds said

Virtue, discipline and how to live well, drawn from the rules, journals and meditations the figures left behind.

4 answers from 3 voices. Every answer quotes the figure's own words and links to the source. How we build answers.

Benjamin Franklin

What were Benjamin Franklin's thirteen virtues?
Benjamin Franklin developed thirteen virtues in 1726 as a systematic method to achieve moral perfection, including temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility.

What were George Washington's rules of civility?
George Washington's Rules of Civility were 110 maxims he copied as a boy, drawn from a French Jesuit source, emphasizing self-restraint, consideration for others, and modest conduct in all social situations.

What did Marcus Aurelius say about dealing with difficult people?
Marcus Aurelius believed difficult people should be met with rational compassion rather than anger, viewing wrongdoers as acting from ignorance and maintaining emotional distance without hostility.
What did Marcus Aurelius say about self-discipline?
Marcus Aurelius viewed self-discipline as the foundation of virtue and a life worth living—the rational mind governing passions rather than being enslaved by appetite, fear, or others' opinions.

Ask any of these figures directly. Answers are grounded in primary sources, with every claim cited.