SEC-S11W3 - Discipline | August 8, 2023

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While I advocate for every human to be free from all forms of subjugation and external control, I believe that every human, male or female, binary or non-binary, young and old, SHOULD possess excellent mental discipline.

For clarity, it is my personal opinion that every human should have a certain level of self-control over the vanities of life. And these include avoiding procrastination, incessant coitus activities, lust for money, etc.

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Hint:
This article will be guided by these questions:

🌹How do you view discipline?
🥀Have you been disciplined before or have you ever disciplined someone?
💐Do you consider discipline as love or hatred despite how it is given?
🌻Do you think discipline is beneficial to kids?
🌿Your personal advice to those who give discipline and to those who receive it."

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🌹🌹🌹
What then is discipline?

To be disciplined means to have a controlled behaviour or a high degree of self-control. It also refers to the ability to adhere to rules considered to be ethical in the society you live in.

Using Freud's psychoanalytic theory, this could suggest suppressing your id and being guided by your ego and superego.

Take for instance:

👉🏽 You skip ropes every morning to keep fit.

👉🏽 You manage your time so well that you complete every task before deadlines.

👉🏽 You eat more healthy meals and less junk food.

👉🏽 You avoid molesting your spouse, children or parent physically.

You had the option to

• skip exercising every morning;
• perform tasks the night before deadlines;
• patronise fast food joints daily;
• beat them up at the slightest provocation; but no, you adopted the former routines.

That's because you are disciplined!

🥀🥀🥀
Discipline is not abuse!

Quite a number of caregivers abuse dependent family members in their bid to correct them. They lash their kids and spouses with whips, creating a 16th-century Caribbean society right there in their homes.

For the times I was disciplined by my parents, it was usually through word of mouth — no hurtful, emotion-wrecking words.

A few superiors at my place of worship and school were the ones who tried to treat humans like cows but this ended as abruptly as it started — thanks to the timely intervention of my parents.

As a strong advocate for human rights and kids ESL tutor, I make it a practice never to whip a child but guide them with love. A common scenario occurs when my tutee misbehaves due to the privileges I give them. My first approach has always been to caution them mildly or involve another elderly person whom they revere. Speaking does the work every time.

💐💐💐
Discipline is love, abuse is hatred

To reiterate, discipline and abuse are mutually exclusive. Hence, I do not consider discipline as love or hatred due to how it is given.

It is simple:

If you caution others with love, that's discipline. But when you suddenly take up the role of a 16th-century Spaniard slave master who owns sugarcane plantations in the Caribbeans, then what you do to your subordinates when trying to correct them is ABUSE.

🌻🌻🌻
Kids need to be disciplined

An Ibibio proverb says, "ama item ọbọ ifiok, asua item abed unam" (Those who love being chastised are wise, those who dislike corrections become fools). A child who walks unguided is a blind man and it's only a matter of time before they fall into that ditch the elders failed to warn them about. Without mincing words, kids need to be guided with love. The benefit will be seen in the long run.

🌿🌿🌿
My advice

Discipline should come from a place of love. It should not come from a place of hate or lack of proper anger management. It ought not to be a transfer of aggression or an inability to manage stress properly. Also, the giver should be open to corrections since no one is above mistakes.

Lastly for kids and adults being disciplined by an authority, let this Ibibio proverb guide you.

"Ama item ọbọ ifiok, asua item abed unam" (Those who love being chastised are wise, those who dislike corrections become fools).

It's my pleasure to invite @ahbaz @patjewell @goodybest to this contest