The list is self-conflicting.

Franklin's conclusion basically was "everything in moderation".

I continued this method some few years, but gradually left it, retaining only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence; never using, when I advanced anything that may possibly be disputed, the words certainly, undoubtedly, or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so or so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken.

This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions and persuade men into measures that I have been from time to time engaged in promoting; and, as the chief ends of conversion are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade, I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner, that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat every one of those purpose for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving information or pleasure.

For, if you would inform, a positive and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may provoke contradiction and prevent a candid attention. If you wish information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet, at the same time, express yourself as firmly fixed in your present opinions, modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave you undisturbed in the possession of your error.

- The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Franklin was a scoundrel, an inveterate liar, skirt-chaser, always obese, and extremely lazy. A man of great intelligence, appetites, and very little in the way of self-restraint.

He would generally sleep till noon or later. He'd lie naked on his bed until the afternoon, opening the windows, and calling it an "air shower". He had many mistresses, a knack for self-promotion, and swindled several business partners.

At the same time, he was one of the most brilliant, wise, and influential men in the colonies, making important scientific discoveries, establishing hospitals, fire departments, post offices, libraries, schools, and many other projects. A successful author, inventor, diplomat, business man, and polymath, his work infused with wisdom, creativity, and common sense. He makes the modern "3 hour work week" sound like an amateur enterprise. It's incredibly how productive he was.

Well, at least he claimed the bulk of the credit for the public works -- his drinking buddy and dear friend Chief Justice William Allen also played a big role (until the relationship soured and Allen had him fired from trusteeship of the Academy of Philadelphia due to yet another financial dispute).

But Franklin was a great schmoozer, and he knew what needed to be done, how to get it done, and then how to take credit. He was extremely popular, told great stories, and was generally the smartest man in the room wherever he went.

But later in his life, when he discovered his own son was following down the same dissolute path, he wrote this autobiography as a hagiography to hard work and self-discipline, and had the big brass balls to portray himself as that early-to-bed, early-to-rise, temperate moral paragon, even though all of his contemporaries understood exactly what kind of a man he was, and must have laughed their asses off when reading that book.

And yet, it's a masterpiece. A critically important historical document while at the same time being enjoyable to read and inspiring millions. Franklin wins again.

«Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.» ??Proverbs? ?26:12? ?

This chapter was probably written around 2700 or so years ago according to my reading of Britannica :-)

Love this bit.

I heard James Clear of Atomic Habits say something similar. Every action you do is a vote for yourself and the identity you want.

Well, if you don't think you pack a punch or can take a beating, you don't throw your hat into the ring.

The problem is always to know how to strike a balance- believe in yourself, know what you can achieve, but don't become an overblown bag of farts. Why? Because obviously nobody can stand knowing they're an overblown bag of farts, so if someone is, they don't know the first thing: who they are.

Socrates, the wisest of men, knew how to get out of this one. "I know one thing, and I know it well: I know nothing at all", he said [1]. And, he said, "know thyself" [2].

A scientist is driven by what she doesn't know, and wishes to know. But she must know the immensity of the task, lest she become an idiot who thinks she knows and knows nothing, John Snow.

________

[1] my liberal translation of his laconic "?? ???? ??? ????? ????", "I know one thing, that I know no thing".

[2] "????? ??????".

Shortly after the close of World War I, I learned an invaluable lesson one night in London. I was manager at the time for Sir Ross Smith. During the war, Sir Ross had been the Australian ace out in Palestine; and shortly after peace was declared, he astonished the world by flying halfway around it in thirty days. No such feat had ever been attempted before. It created a tremendous sensation. The Australian government awarded him fifty thousand dollars; the King of England knighted him; and, for a while, he was the most talked-about man under the Union Jack. I was attending a banquet one night given in Sir Ross’s honor; and during the dinner, the man sitting next to me told a humorous story which hinged on the quotation “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.” The raconteur mentioned that the quotation was from the Bible. He was wrong. I knew that. I knew it positively. There couldn’t be the slightest doubt about it. And so, to get a feeling of importance and display my superiority, I appointed myself as an unsolicited and unwelcome committee of one to correct him. He stuck to his guns. What? From Shakespeare? Impossible! Absurd! That quotation was from the Bible. And he knew it. The storyteller was sitting on my right; and Frank Gammond, an old friend of mine, was seated at my left. Mr. Gammond had devoted years to the study of Shakespeare. So the storyteller and I agreed to submit the question to Mr. Gammond. Mr. Gammond listened, kicked me under the table, and then said: “Dale, you are wrong. The gentleman is right. It is from the Bible.” On our way home that night, I said to Mr. Gammond: “Frank, you knew that quotation was from Shakespeare.” “Yes, of course,” he replied, “Hamlet, Act Five, Scene Two. But we were guests at a festive occasion, my dear Dale. Why prove to a man he is wrong? Is that going to make him like you? Why not let him save his face? He didn’t ask for your opinion. He didn’t want it. Why argue with him? Always avoid the acute angle.” The man who said that taught me a lesson I’ll never forget. I not only had made the storyteller uncomfortable, but had put my friend in an embarrassing situation. How much better it would have been had I not become argumentative.

    "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."
    "Tranquility. 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."

I think that it is pretty weak of him to mention it this way. I get the impression that he says "look at me, I'm so clever".

My interpretation of the allegory is that it suggests that everyone "should" employ epistemic humility.

https://archive.org/details/bookhumourwitwi00projgoog is the text "Humour, Wit and Wisdom" - "the latter days of Bonaparte" is on p.2.

That's beautiful. May I quote you?