The Value of Discipline in life
Human society cannot exist if its members are not amenable to discipline. If everyone acts according to his whims and fancies, there will be universal chaos.
In all spheres, discipline is a vital necessity. It is the key to all progress. It converts weakness into strength. To quote Roy Smith, discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability. Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin. If every soldier fights as he likes, ‘disobeying the orders of his Commanding Officer, an enemy can invade a country easily. At the same time if all the soldiers remain united, it may not be difficult for them to repulse the enemy. In the battle of Agincourt (1415), the English army of Henry V was able to defeat, the French army though the French soldiers out-numbered- the English soldiers. This was mainly due to the discipline and morale of the English army. If the police do not .obey the orders of their superior officers, no law and order can be maintained. If drivers and pedestrians do not obey traffic rules, there will not be any limit to accidents. Discipline ensures the smooth working’ of any institution. No factory can exist or progress without discipline. One of the reasons for the rapid economic- development of Japan and Israel is the discipline shown by the people there.
A disciplined man shows great sense of responsibility and devotion to duty. Even in very dangerous circumstances he discharges his duties sincerely. The fear of death does not daunt him. He attaches supreme importance to obedience. The obedience shown by the soldiers in Tennyson’s poem The Charge of the Light Brigade deserves special mention. Though they knew that the order to charge the Russian artillery was a foolish one, they were ready to obey implicitly their leader and lay down their lives for their country:
Their’s not to make reply’
Their’s not to reason why
Their’s but to do and die.
In the political” field we notice glaring indiscipline. Strikes and `bandhs’ have become very frequent. Public property is destroyed. Opponents are murdered. There are several M.Ps. and M.L.As who behave in an unruly Mariner in Parliament and Legislatures. Defections from one political party to another have become very common. It is high time our political leaders and their followers learned’ the value of discipline.
Parents ought to bring up their children properly. If the children show disobedience, they may be punished. Too much pampering will only spoil them. ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’ is perfectly correct. According to Boswell, Hunter, the master, flogged Johnson unmercifully, which helped him to-acquire good proficiency in Latin. It is also the duty of the parents to set good examples before their children. If the father is a drunkard, how can lie advise his son to abstain from drinking?
If a country wishes to make progress and attain prosperity, the people there must be disciplined. Since we gained independence, indiscipline has been increasing. It will set back the progress of the country. If we create lawlessness and chaos within our county, our enemies may avail themselves of any opportunity to disrupt the integrity of our nation. To maintain our hard-won freedom, we have to show eternal vigilance. We must maintain strict discipline in all spheres of life all. Everyone has to learn how to control his passions and resist evil desires. Inordinate ambition was ruinous to Napoleon and Hitler. Truth is stranger than fiction.
