誰と友達になりたいか？

This week's question focuses on best friends. So, here's the question: If you could be friends with anyone (living or dead), who would it be?
もし誰かと友達になれるなら（生きている人、亡くなった人問わず）、誰を選びますか？

My answer:

If possible, I would love to be friends with Benjamin Franklin, American newspaperman, scientist, inventor, philosopher, politician, and diplomat. Considered to be the greatest public servant in American history, it seems everything he did, he did with focus, purpose and a sense of duty for others. Of course, I would have to travel back in time since Franklin was one of the key people to help create the country of America—over 230 years ago. Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1706 and died on April 17, 1790.

Franklin lived his life (as best he could) based on what he called the Thirteen Virtues (フランクリンの十三徳 [編集]). He developed these “rules” when he was 20 years old and tried to live by them until he died. It is written that he focused on one rule each week and leaving the others to chance.

His Thirteen Virtues in English are:

"TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."
"SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation."
"ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time."
"RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve."
"FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing."
"INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions."
"SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly."
"JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty."
"MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve."
"CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation."
"TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable."
"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."
"HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates."

His Thirteen Virtues in Japanese are:

節制　飽くほど食うなかれ。酔うまで飲むなかれ。
沈黙　自他に益なきことを語るなかれ。駄弁を弄するなかれ。
規律　物はすべて所を定めて置くべし。仕事はすべて時を定めてなすべし。
決断　なすべきをなさんと決心すべし。決心したることは必ず実行すべし。
節約　自他に益なきことに金銭を費やすなかれ。すなわち、浪費するなかれ。
勤勉　時間を空費するなかれ。つねに何か益あることに従うべし。無用の行いはすべて断つべし。
誠実　詐りを用いて人を害するなかれ。心事は無邪気に公正に保つべし。口に出ですこともまた然るべし。
正義　他人の利益を傷つけ、あるいは与うべきを与えずして人に損害を及ぼすべからず。
中庸　極端を避くべし。たとえ不法を受け、憤りに値すと思うとも、激怒を慎むべし。
清潔　身体、衣服、住居に不潔を黙認すべからず。
平静　小事、日常茶飯事、または避けがたき出来事に平静を失うなかれ。
純潔　性交はもっぱら健康ないし子孫のためにのみ行い、これに耽（ふけ）りて頭脳を鈍らせ、身体を弱め、または自他の平安ないし信用を傷つけるがごときことあるべからず。
謙譲　イエスおよびソクラテスに見習うべし。

I think Franklin would have made an incredibly interesting, exciting, deep, enlightening and loyal friend. Besides that, he could be a great teacher.

To learn more about Benjamin Franklin in Japanese, do a simple search on Google for ベンジャミン・フランクリン here.

So, how about you? Who would you like to be friends with?

I will look forward to hearing your answers this week.

Be well,

Keith//