{"id":41619,"date":"2019-07-09T11:22:15","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T18:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clairewolfe.com\/blog\/?p=41619"},"modified":"2019-07-09T11:26:00","modified_gmt":"2019-07-09T18:26:00","slug":"guest-post-the-society-of-the-free-and-easy-wants-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clairewolfe.com\/blog\/2019\/07\/09\/guest-post-the-society-of-the-free-and-easy-wants-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest post: The Society of the Free and Easy (wants you)"},"content":{"rendered":"

David Gross<\/a> posted this intriguing announcement at the Living Freedom Forums<\/a>. I reprint it here with his permission and add a couple of comments below.<\/em><\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

Summary:<\/strong><\/strong> The Society of the Free and Easy is a self-directed, peer-supported process for becoming a more flourishing and effective person while enriching the culture around you. You\u2019re invited to join.<\/font><\/p>\n

Benjamin Franklin is famed for his remarkable scientific and technological discoveries, his many diplomatic and political achievements, his publishing and journalism, his practical philosophical acumen, and his many contributions to the public good.<\/p>\n

How did he do it? When he was young, he began a self-directed process of integrating a set of virtues into his character, deliberately and one-at-a-time. He was delighted at the effect of this process, and recommended it to others as one of the secrets of his success. He considered creating a sort of fraternal society devoted to such practice\u2009\u2014\u2009The Society of the Free and Easy\u2009\u2014\u2009but he got distracted by other things before he could bring it about.<\/p>\n

What do you say we fix that for him?<\/p>\n

A few months back, a group of my friends started trying to bring Franklin\u2019s idea to life. Here\u2019s the theory we\u2019re operating under:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. There are many character traits that help people to live thriving, beneficial lives. Back in the day these were called \u201cthe virtues.\u201d There are many sorts: intellectual virtues that help us understand the world around us and our place in it (like curiosity, imagination, rationality, or attention), social virtues that help us in interpersonal contexts (like honesty, hospitality, leadership, tact, or empathy), and other more internal virtues (for instance honor, courage, endurance, hope, or initiative).\n
  2. By and large, these virtues are skills. That is, they can be acquired by deliberate practice, in much the same way as you would learn to play an instrument or to speak another language.\n
  3. We can help each other design and practice exercises that strengthen these skills. By doing this together, we build accountability and camaraderie into our process. This prevents the common problem with self-help books or inspirational TED talks or whatever\u2009\u2014\u2009where they sound really insightful and wonderful, but fail to take hold and actually change your usual habits.\n
  4. By doing such practice together, we will improve, we will help our peers to improve, and we will improve the culture around us.\n<\/ol>\n

    If you would like to join the Society, this document explains how to form a virtue-building-team and begin the work: https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1CLm5-JRlWiK4osc1x5CzqD2m6gqBUjGy98o9v-77ZcQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    To head off some possible concerns:<\/p>\n