Discipline

Disciples...
organized
following an ideal

Wikepedia has this interesting answer...

In its original sense, discipline is systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or any other activity which they are supposed to perform, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". 

Discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with self control. Self-discipline is to some extent a substitute for motivation, when one uses reason to determine the best course of action that opposes one's desires.

Virtuous behavior is when one's motivations are aligned with one's reasoned aims: to do what one knows is best and to do it gladly. Continent behavior, on the other hand, is when one does what one knows is best, but must do it by opposing one's motivations.^[1] Moving from continent to virtuous behavior requires training and some self-discipline.

Source
Fowers, Blaine J. (2008). From Continence to Virtue: Recovering Goodness, Character Unity, and Character Types for Positive Psychology. 18,. pp. 629–653.

So I googled the strange term, continent behavior, only to get this...

Our Habits in Private Ultimately Determine our Results in Public

April 12, 2010

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.
The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
~ Jim Rohn

I’m getting into the habit of spending 1 hour a day thinking on paper with a pen or pencil. In doing that daily for 365 days, that amounts to 365 hours of thinking. Further, that amounts to over 9 full time weeks (40-hour weeks) of pure thinking. That’s over 2 months spent on “full time” thinking of better ways to do things. And I still have another 8,395 hours a year to do something else!
The key is to just to do a little bit each day.
I was spending my daily thinking time with a yellow paper pad and pencil Sunday morning. In one of my thoughts I came across the concept of discipline being needed to achieve something. Maybe in regards to discipline itself, disciplined action, or perhaps self-discipline. I can’t remember what kicked off the line of thought.  But if figured I should know what discipline is exactly.
To wrap my brain around the concept, I decided to look the word discipline up in Wikipedia:

(you've already read what I quoted above, but there is this addition)

In the field of child development, discipline refers to methods of modeling character and of teaching self-control and acceptable behavior” (e.g teaching a child to wash her/his hands before meals). Here, ‘washing hands before meals’ is a particular pattern of behaviour, and the child is being disciplined to adopt that pattern. ‘To disciple’ also gives rise to the word disciplinarian, which denotes a person who enforces order.

So then discipline isn’t about inflicting pain, but about inflicting order.  Or teaching a system to get a desired results. Self discipline then is about teaching oneself the order or system necessary to achieve some desired result. We often associate self discipline with self control.   The ability to motivate ourselves to do something that we don’t want to do in order to get results that we like. The assertion of willpower or self control over our more basic intentions that would derail us from achieving our desired end.
Virtuous behavior is when one’s natural motivations are aligned with one’s desired aims. That you will do what you know to be the best course of action and do it willingly and maybe even happily. Continent behavior is just the opposite. Continent behavior is when one does what one knows is best, but must do it by opposing one’s natural inclinations to NOT want to do it – so it’s a little or perhaps even a lot painful.  I think that’s the form of disciplined behavior that we often associate with “discipline”.
The “do it anyway and I don’t care how much it hurts” concept.   It’s important to achieve what you want to achieve.
Ideally we move from continent behavior to virtuous behavior. This requires requires training, the building of habits, and self discipline.
Julia Child has an amazing background. In addition to being one of the teachers that many great cooks (my dad included) can look to as a model, Julia Child’s early forays into the cooking world were purely uphill.  She barely knew how to cook when she started.   She’s a great example that it doesn’t matter where you start, but what is hugely important is the path you’ve laid out to determine where you finish.  Along with your disciplined actions along that path.
Julia Child entered into the elite and all male French culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu, via sheer persistence. I watched a scene in amusement  in a recent movie on Julia Child, Julia and Julia. Julia child watches on her first day as her fellow classmates expertly and rapidly chop onions while she lags sorely behind. The instructor then tutors her on proper knife technique, while the others watch and probably question her culinary skills.  The fact that someone is a laggard is not amusing.  We all have to start somewhere.   The bravery is in the starting.  What Julia did next was though was amusing and illustrates the reality of great success.

Julia committed to the ideal that is the first and LAST time that is going to happen to her.
She would practice her craft relentlessly.

In the next scene we see Julia’s husband come home that evening to find his wife chopping a giant mound of what must be a couple bags of onions. Having experienced cutting onions ourselves,  it’s clearly painful.  Yet, she cut onion after onion after onion to perfect her skills. This is what she does in private.   It also clearly reflects her inevitable results in public.
The scene is hilarious as Julia and her husband are both crying from all the chopped onions, and the message is clear: Julia is going to do whatever it takes to succeed at Le Cordon Bleu. The very next day in class she chops the onions expertly and is easily the first to finish, thereby gaining the respect of her fellow male students and instructor.  It was the first of many firsts for Julia.
Julia’s example of persistence and practice is clearly a model to us all.
The rest, is pretty much history.
Julia Child’s Early Beginnings

This is part of a blog written by

“Helping People Realize Their Dreams One Vision at a Time.”
Alan Kauth
Intero Real Estate Services
akauth@interorealestate.com
www.alankauth.com


He sells real estate!  So I explore further...what an interesting guy.  But he hasn't posted anything since April 2012.  What happened?

I liked (and quoted below) some of what he said in

Change Your Words – Change Your World

April 4, 2012

Years ago, when I used to work for Tony Robbins, he said something back then that I’ll always remember.  In fact, I can even hear his raspy voice ringing in my ears right this very second as I write:

“The quality of our lives is directly proportional to the quality of our communication – both to yourselves and to others.”

In past blog posts I’ve focused on the quality of the communication to ourselves.  There is a reminder from “Medicine of the Cherokee, The Way of Right Relationship” by J.T.Garrett & Michael Garrett that we should feed the wolf who helps us and not the one who eats us.


This guy's web site isn't about buying property, but some interesting philosophical stuff.  He even has a philosophy listed:
http://fieldourdreams.com/my-philosophy/ 

I figured I wouldn't cut and paste his whole site. But it's interesting, isn't it?

And have I answered my question about discipline yet?  Maybe.