You probably stumbled upon the word discipline since you were so little and got scared of it from the very beginning of your life, especially because we would mostly hear it when we got into trouble or we were prevented from not following it. And, regarding the title of this article, “What Discipline Really Means,” and addressing the redundant use of the word ‘really’, I can tell it is because in my experience made me relate the word discipline with an unpleasant emotion about a concept of being under arbitrary control, earned that is something you would do against your will and sorts, enough reasons to keep myself away from it as long as I could. Even I was practicing it in many ways distinctively from the former concept unknowingly, walking in life carrying a concept I was completely and ‘really’ misled about.
After studying it, traveling around, and paying special attention during observation of people and vast nature, I now define the word discipline as written in my books, as “a habit you cultivate consciously.” – Jor. A concise definition, isn’t it? I tried to explain it as easiest as I could. And as minimal as it brings to existence flourishing ways of personal growth opportunities and great things if, of course, the discipline it has the direction of love, and this is maybe the most important thing when deciding which discipline you choose to cultivate in your life.
I am happily mentioning some definitions by legendary knowledgeable and interesting minds that are or were part of the living, and we the readers and spectators are lucky their ideas resonated enough so we can print them and read them here, starting from the artists to the philosophers:
The meaning of discipline to David Bowie (in the late 70’s)
“Discipline doesn’t mean you wake in the morning and have breakfast at 8 o’clock in the morning and leave the house at half past 8. Discipline is, if you conceived some thing, then you decided wether or not it’s worth following through , and if it’s worth following through then you follow it through its logical conclusion and do it with the best of your ability, that’s a discipline. Wether there are areas in it that are not to ones liking, you have to go back the way through it and do it, and that’s what I do”
David Bowie
I especially like the part about “then you do it with the best of your ability,” it doesn’t only say much about what discipline means but it particularly says a lot about what discipline takes, and how amazing and mesmerizing things are achieved by it, such as in nature and arts, but how he saw work in general. This may be the way discipline should be followed.
Camus’ quote about discipline
In that daily effort in which intelligence and passion mingle and delight each other, the absurd man discovers a discipline that will make up the greatest of his strengths. The required diligence, doggedness and lucidity thus resemble the conqueror’s attitude. To create is likewise to give a shape to one’s fate.
Alber Camus
Here Albert Camus’ quote does not refer directly to the term discipline, but rather ‘a discipline’ and what it implies. It lets us know how discipline and its required determination bring an intended accomplishment.
Martin Luther King Jr. referring to the importance of discipline
“In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
There’s a great variety of registered times when Martin Luther King Jr. took time to speak about the intrinsic requirement to act following discipline to legitimize the power of the people.
Discipline according to Epictetus
“No greater thing is created suddenly… If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.”
Epictetus
I especially like the way he talks about affordability and sustainable living in the respectful interaction with the environment and nature, something not considered in the XX or XI century industrial realities, producers and consumers, a reality in our habits we need to asses daily.
Discipline according to Seneca
“Our life should observe a happy medium between the ways of a sage and the ways of the world at large; all men should admire it, but they should understand it also.”
Seneca
“The heart is great which shows moderation amid prosperity.”
Again, and previously from Epictetus’ times, self-restraint as a form of discipline, focused on community and common good.
Plato about discipline
“Discipline is a kind of order. A master of pleasures and desires. And the person is described being in someway a master of himself”
Plato (The Republic)
Around 2500 years separate us from Plato, and fairly his ideas survived its era. Plato mentioned the concept of assessing and personal growth in many ways, and discipline is about you taking control of yourself, not being ruled instead.
Conclusion
Discipline is a must, and crucially deserves great attention and practice, once you discover its benefits in your own life you will only wish you started before you did, so start the change by cultivation, today, just after this reading is a good and the best of times. Enjoy!