Wisdom In All Things Special Series
You might say that it was Benjamin Franklin’s disillusionment with a sermon on Philippians 4:8 that was at least partly responsible for his conceiving of “the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection” that is his 13 virtues.
A wise life is a virtuous life. There is an expectation of behavior from someone who claims to be wise. This 13-part series will seek to help us understand a life that is exemplified by the characteristics elevated by this great American statesman.
What This Virtue Means
When people hear the word silence, they often imagine withdrawal—saying nothing, avoiding engagement, or retreating from conversation altogether. But Franklin meant something far more deliberate.
Silence, for Franklin, was not about the absence of speech. It was about the discipline of speech.
He believed words should serve a purpose: to clarify truth, benefit others, or advance understanding. Speech that existed merely to fill space, display wit, or assert superiority was, in Franklin’s view, a liability rather than a virtue.
Silence, then, was not muteness—it was restraint.
By practicing silence, Franklin sought to bring his words into alignment with wisdom. He understood that careless speech often revealed careless thought, and that a person who speaks too quickly rarely listens well. Silence trained the mind to slow down, to observe, and to speak only when words were truly necessary.
In this way, silence protected both the speaker and the listener. It guarded against regret, misunderstanding, and the quiet erosion of credibility that comes from speaking without thought.
Why Franklin Practiced It
Franklin was keenly aware that words carry power—power to instruct, to persuade, and to wound.
As a young man, he recognized that his tendency to speak freely and forcefully often undermined his influence. Arguments won through clever speech rarely produced lasting agreement, and casual remarks sometimes caused unnecessary offense.
Silence became strategic.
By restraining his speech, Franklin sought to:
- become a better listener
- avoid unnecessary conflict
- speak with greater precision and credibility
- allow others to feel heard and respected
Over time, he found that saying less often resulted in being heard more seriously. Silence sharpened his discernment and increased the weight of his words when he chose to speak.
Modern Examples of Silence
Silence is arguably more difficult today than in Franklin’s time.
Modern life rewards immediacy: instant reactions, constant commentary, and perpetual availability. Social media, messaging platforms, and public discourse all pressure us to respond quickly—even when reflection would be wiser.
Practicing silence today might look like:
- pausing before responding to criticism or disagreement
- resisting the urge to comment on every issue or trend
- choosing listening over correcting
- declining to participate in gossip or trivial debate
In each case, silence preserves something essential: clarity, humility, and trust.
Want a simple way to practice the virtues the way Franklin did?
Download the free printable virtues chart and weekly habit tracker—modeled after Franklin’s original system.
Silence is not Being Silent
With Temperance acquired and established, Franklin thought: “Silence would be more easy; and my desire being to gain knowledge at the same time that I improved in virtue, and considering that in conversation it was obtained rather by the use of the ears than of the tongue, and therefore wishing to break a habit I was getting into prattling, punning, and joking, which only made me acceptable to trifling company, I gave Silence the second place.”
It should be clear that Franklin is not intending that we become a quiet person, as there are certainly times to speak up. In fact, Dr. King suggests that we’re only truly living when we speak up about things that matter.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is speaking with a purpose that distinguishes this virtue, and avoiding those situations when you would be drawn into inane, unimportant, or trivial discussions. This way, you benefit from your listening, and others benefit from your speaking.
Be Selective: Listen. Speak. Or Neither.
Listen first.
Inherent in Benjamin’s virtue, and further in his explanation, is the intent to gain understanding and be all the wiser by listening.
How else will you know when or what to speak?
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” – Plato
Here, a new application of the Miranda Warning might be beneficial. “Arrested” by the gravity of the opportunity, and the need to keep our mouths closed by prioritizing listening, we elevate the fact that we “…have the right to remain silent. [Realizing what’s at stake is the fact that] Anything you say can and will be used against you…”
Exercising that “right” more often, is advisable. We don’t have to speak. And most certainly, it should not take priority over listening.
Speak second.
Speaking can be risky business. Remaining silent, to begin with, can help mitigate the danger. But there comes a point, given what’s at stake, that we need to break our silence.
In order of importance, speaking should follow listening. When the time comes, what should be our reason for breaking the silence?
The art of communication is not mastered by just knowing what to say and how to say it. A big factor is knowing when to say it. – Kevin Daum
The deciding factor may be the question implied in Franklin’s admonishment. How will it be of benefit to you or others? By benefit, I mean preservation or protection of your well-being, not that you profit from it.
However, in the case of it benefitting others, it should mean that they profit. That is, they are elevated, honored, or rewarded by what you have to say, and when you choose to say it. You might ask, How will they be blessed by what I say?
Don’t listen or speak.
As frequently as we are baited these days, avoid trifling conversation.
It is of little, or more likely, no value to even entertain most of what is being discussed publicly, simply because of the way it is being discussed. Not that there aren’t any substantive conversations, but that they are largely done without listening. Instead, volume is readily applied to what they feel they need to say.
Before we even seek to listen, it is more necessary that we find that person, group, or conversation that is more than trivial or frivolous, whereby significance, understanding, and meaning can be advanced.
In a word, be selective. In those discussions that seem prudent to join, put a priority on listening, and when the time is right, speak with precision.
How to Practice Silence This Week
Franklin practiced silence intentionally, one week at a time, through observation rather than force.
To begin:
- Choose one context where speech is most often careless
This might be meetings, family conversations, online interactions, or casual social settings. - Practice listening before speaking
Delay your response long enough to consider whether your words will genuinely help. - Ask simple questions before speaking
Will this clarify? Will this benefit? Is this necessary? - Reflect at the end of the week
Did silence improve understanding? Did it reduce conflict? Did it change how others responded to you?
Silence grows not through withdrawal, but through disciplined attention.
Download the exact habit-tracking chart Benjamin Franklin used to pursue the 13 virtues.
This free, printable PDF gives you the (modernized) chart Franklin used to track his progress toward moral growth, designed to help you slow down, pay attention, and cultivate better habits one week at a time.