Discipline Means Success, Anarchy Means Ruin
Discipline Means Success, Anarchy Means Ruin
Introduction
In the Indian movie Mohabattein starring the legendary Amitabh Bacchan as the tough Principal for the Gurukul school, the actor says stresses on Parampara, Pratishtha and Anushasan. While parampara is tradition, pratishtha is respect, it is anushasan or discipline which continues to be an important characteristic for a person to have in order to progress in life.
Discipline comes from the word "disciple", a learner or follower of a teacher; and it means properly training. The same word is accentuated in schools today as it is formative years in which a person obeys instructions from those who teach him anything, may it be how to form good habits or to avoid wrong conduct.
Why Discipline means success?
Discipline involves punishment for not obeying instructions. Parents and teachers can set an example by infusing the aspect of discipline and the consequences of not following it. Children are taught the virtues of preparing early for everything, waking up on time and hygiene habits as a part of being disciplined in life. It is said that an army without discipline is nothing more than a mob. This cannot be truer. Even in sports, discipline is of utmost importance as any violation of laid out rules or instructions can result in a foul, which can end up suspending a player for a match or worse off, with high penalty.
The toughest aspect of discipline is self-discipline. This means that governing oneself by controlling temptations and evil desires. It is the waning of self-discipline amongst young people which has led to the world going through a tough time. The higher crime rates and more difficult adolescents are results of anarchy taking over our lives more strongly than ever before.
Glamour may be an important element of being a celebrity but what should be remembered is that thousands of hours of perseverance and hard work went into them. Success in life is also determined by self-discipline and anyone who wants to go far in life must inculcate self-discipline. One of the reasons why children are encouraged to study or to play outdoor sports instead of watching TV or play video games is because that is essential for their growth in life. A self-disciplined person does not squander away time for trivial pleasures in life.
You can easily cite this with examples of most successful people in life. They gave up indulgences and pleasures for achieving something big in life. Mahatma Gandhi, Milkha Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid are some of the big Indian names that have been associated with a life that involved rigorous discipline and their names are etched in history forever for not just their stupendous achievements but also how they achieved greatness by being disciplined all of their life. There have been examples of many monks being able to discipline their mind so well that they are able to survive in extremely cold parts of Himalayas.
On the other hand, anarchy prevails if discipline is not followed and unruly elements can make it seem more relevant. Anarchy can be a country having situation of lawlessness or political disorder. India, a democratic country, was also threatened by its perils in times of emergency in late 1970’s. There was a situation of anarchy under the then Prime Minister Ms Indira Gandhi. However, it did not last very long and ultimately a new government was formed after a few years. Anarchy makes people unhappy and does not let them be at their best. This is true in case of both government as well as individuals.
For instance, when militancy groups take over the country, there is a situation of chaos like we have seen in case of Iraq, Afghanistan or Sudan. Anarchy results in ruining the person or the group and all the elements near it as well. People who create anarchy or dwell in situations of anarchy may feel on the top of the world for some time but ultimately they are doomed in life.
There are many countries that have seen the fruition of rigorous discipline over years resulting in making them developed economies. On the other hand, there are those who have ruined themselves under an anarchic rule. The redundancy of anarchy on individuals or nations has proven time and again that humans must ensure that they learn the art of discipline for success.
Conclusion
Discipline is the foundation on which people must build lives because no other characteristic has the power to transform people’s lives more than discipline. Discipline in personal, professional or any other realm of life is vital and should not be confused as a binding habit which one must inculcate. It should rather be seen as an essential component which an individual should practice for going far in life.
Discussion
- RE: Discipline Means Success, Anarchy Means Ruin -Hemant Sharma (08/08/14)
- Discipline and anarchy appear to be set of 2 different coins but in reality they are tied by one simple thread of “logics” – which we can call as the ‘degree of control’. If an individual is in absolute control of their situation and actions then they are in absolute discipline whereas the situation of minimal control is the state of anarchy.
Have you ever given it a thought, why students dislike the word ‘discipline’? This is because they misunderstand discipline with punishment. Whenever someone is grounded or fined, the reason mentioned for it is simply, lack of discipline. The word discipline has come up from the word ‘disciple’ which means a learner, pup or follower of a teacher or master. A disciple always follows the path shown by their teacher or master.
It is very important to let go of ego and learn anything and everything that’s been taught by a teacher. Discipline is simply following instructions and obeying the decisions of a teacher or a tutor. The very essence of discipline is obedience. As we see in every home, a child is taught by his parents some necessary rules of conduct that makes him fit for society. The next important thing after obedience is behavior. Good habits and good conduct makes a good character.
It is true that discipline can lead to great success but at the same time it can cause chaos. We can find many examples for the above statement. The most apt being the Nazis which was built on discipline but they created chaos far beyond imagination. Every individual has to be taught how to behave from their earliest years. Any rebuttal for either obedience or behavior should be corrected by punishment of some sort. This would teach him that disobedience brings unpleasant consequences. Parents and teachers can set a good example for the youngsters to learn from.
There are certain rules of conduct that needs to be followed by the people in the societies or companies for their own betterment. Reinforcement of obedience upon these rules of conduct is called discipline. Society without rules will crumble into pieces. A regiment or an army without discipline is a mere mob.
Anarchy can lead to ruin. But the world around us is nothing short of chaotic. To bring order out of chaos it takes organization and effort, but discipline isn’t a necessary part of that formula. Constant effort at the most appropriate times would be a better generalization in the overall scheme of things. Discipline is a requirement but it’s not a must to succeed in life. It is an important factor in improving one’s craft but some are gifted in their own particular fields and can perform tasks with apparent ease without the need of discipline.
To conclude, we must not forget that the hardest task of all is self-discipline. It is our own responsibility to learn how to govern and rule ourselves, how to control ourselves, resist the evil desires and obey the conscience. Master of mind and body can do the impossible.
