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Why Self-Discipline Is Overrated
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Why Self-Discipline Is Overrated

The (Troubling) Theory and Practice of Control from Within

Alfie Kohn
Alfie Kohn, 2008
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8

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  • Innovative
  • Well Structured

Recommendation

Speaker, author and former educator Alfie Kohn’s essay offers compelling reasons to question the virtue of self-discipline. Have too much self-discipline, he argues, and you’re a compulsive automaton. Have too little, and you’re easily sidetracked and wild. Both can be a problem, but the reason educators and parents vilify the latter is because it presents more of a problem for them. For the disciplined individual, too much self-control may limit the fun they have and their innate impulsiveness. getAbstract recommends this summary to parents, educators and anyone who often feels that whatever they are doing, they should be doing something else instead.

Take-Aways

  • Self-discipline serves the authorities – teachers, parents, employers and the government – more than it serves the individual.
  • Self-discipline can limit daily pleasures and inhibit creative problem solving.
  • When educators focus on self-discipline, they forget to question whether existing structures and environments cultivate or hinder learning success.

About the Author

Alfie Kohn is an author and lecturer in the areas of education, parenting and human behavior.

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