[March 23, 2022] Here is a philosophy of life I recently heard verbalized by a radio disc jockey. “Do as much good as you can, as best you can.” We will find stories about this same idea from ancient philosophers and biblical figures; we call it discipline1. Without discipline, you will fail.
The idea of discipline, and I speak here of self-discipline, is bantered about haphazardly as a very broad concept with a lot of noise about how too much or too little discipline will warp you. I use “discipline” as a descriptor – a conscious action one takes.
Dr. Jordan Peterson says that we should try to do difficult things, and by doing so, our lives will be heightened. “Aim High,” he says, “embrace discipline.” “But take great care you don’t aim so high that your goal is impossible to achieve.” Dr. Peterson suggests that doing those hard things will gain you great satisfaction. Aim at the goal and put all your effort into attaining it. That, he says, is the real meaning of life.
I think Dr. Peterson is onto something here. I can attest that those in the military with me were happiest and felt good when they pushed themselves to accomplish something difficult. That difficulty in the military meant, at times, great danger. To be in combat, for example, against evil and to survive and win is one of the most satisfying things any human can do.
And what happens when you don’t have the self-control necessary to achieve a goal? You will fail. Failure is predictable. Without a goal, you cannot succeed. With a goal and without discipline, you will fail.
Oh, and here is the difficulty when you specify a goal to achieve. It means you must also have standards to measure success. Otherwise, there can be no success, but there can always be a failure waiting for you on the horizon.
All this is very simple to write about. The really really hard part is the ability to discipline yourself to achieve a specific goal.
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- “Discipline” is often called something else, but it’s still discipline. For example, we hear about the need to adhere to rules or laws. We also hear about following or obeying a commandment or getting work done. Adhere, follow, obey, and other terms are a discussion of discipline; that self-motivation to accomplish tasks without external influences.
- Note that I’ve written several times on discipline, and yet, I find that my articles always seem to be lacking. Maybe it’s the lack of clarity in the idea. Maybe not. Here is a link to several of these articles: https://www.theleadermaker.com/?s=discipline
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Another excellent article. Thanks Gen. Satterfield. Just a reminder for readers, esp. new readers, that there are a number of tabs in the header that I recommend that you review. In particular, read the Daily Favorites where Gen. S. highlights two articles daily that he believes are relevant.
Excellent article, Gen. Satterfield. Made me situp and think.
Classic. Thanks Randy. Same here. That is why I continue to come back to this website on leadership. No where can I find one that is so consistent in giving great lessons on HOW to be a good leader and avoid the pitfalls.
You need an aim point … a destination, someplace you are headed to, that you want to go and then you will start thinking about how to get there. But if you don’t have a destination, you will not plan or think or have motivation. That is the basis, failure, of not doing anything of value.
Discipline is really about the ability to have a goal (a target) and the gumption to sacrifice for it.
Right, no sacrifice for today for tomorrow’s gain. Live for today. That is the mantra of those who fall behiind.
Too often overlooked but let us not fail to see that some people will never be able to achieve the pinnacle of their abilities. That is just a fact of life.
Nailed it, “I think Dr. Peterson is onto something here. I can attest that those in the military with me were happiest and felt good when they pushed themselves to accomplish something difficult. That difficulty in the military meant, at times, great danger. To be in combat, for example, against evil and to survive and win is one of the most satisfying things any human can do.”
I agree that the concept of DISCIPLINE is overly broad but that doesn’t mean we cannot discuss it. Good job today, Gen. Satterfield.
It’s ignored in school because it means some kids are just not smart enough or dedicated enough to make the grade. Solution is to remove all standards. Now, that makes ’em all equal now, doesn’t it?
A winner of an article. Too many folks simply overlook the idea that if you don’t work hard, be honest, stay focused, have a goal (something to aim at), then you will just not be successful. What Gen. Satterfield does not say is that there are innate differences that also explain the disparity in outcomes but implies that if you work hard enough, and have these traits, you will surely succeed.
Best advice I’ve ever heard ….. if you don’t have discipline, you will fail. Right!
I think this article should be read within the context of the lowering of academic and professional standards in America. When you lower standards, you create a whole new expectation that NOT doing your job or NOT supporting your family and community is okay. That is a bad way, IMHO, to get people to be equal in outcome. Why, because there can never be equality in outcome because people are different. The only way to do so, is thru the barrel of a gun, and that doesn’t work either.
Yes, and read, “Inconvenient Truths” that Gen. Satterfield has highlighted in his Daily Favorites column. Great read on WHY there are differneces among races.
Great article. 👍
Well said, Max. Thx. More attention should be paid to the facts and not the emotional arguments we hear so often.
Common sense? Gen. Satterfield is writing about the obvious! But, sadly, no one is paying attention. We like to blame others for our own failures — a feature made popular by today’s neo-Marxism.
When it comes to blaming someone for their failures, just take a look at politicians. They are infamous for it. 😊
Any society that likes to blame other countries or circumstances on their failures (however measured) is one doomed forever to be at the bottom. Just take a look a sub-Saharan Africa as a classic. Always looking for a handout and always always needing to look for a handout.
I recommend taking a look to read a new book out Thomas Sowell’s Inconvenient Truths
Hard questions about discrimination, diversity, and civil rights.
https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/thomas-sowells-inconvenient-truths/
Maybe we should recognize that there are real racial differences in intelligence and crime rates and stop ignoring the overly simplistic and wrong explanation of discrimination as the real culprit.