Lack of discipline leads to frustration and self-loathing.
—Marie Chapian (b.1938) American Christian Writer, Psychotherapist
We learn to curb our will and keep our overt actions within the bounds of humanity, long before we can subdue our sentiments and imaginations to the same mild tone.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
The more disciplined you become, the easier life gets.
—Steve Pavlina (b.1971) American Motivational Speaker
Hard work pays off. When someone tells you otherwise, beware the sales pitch for something “fast and easy” that’s about to come next. The greater your capacity for hard work, the more rewards fall within your grasp. The deeper you can dig, the more treasure you can potentially find.
—Steve Pavlina (b.1971) American Motivational Speaker
Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; the hardest victory is over self.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
One-half of life is luck; the other half is discipline – and that’s the important half, for without discipline you wouldn’t know what to do with luck.
—Carl Zuckmayer (1896–1977) German Playwright, Novelist
It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.
—Buddhist Teaching
What lies in our power to do, lies in our power not to do.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Everybody starts at the top, and then has the problem of staying there. Lasting accomplishment, however, is still achieved through a long, slow climb and self-discipline.
—Helen Hayes (1900–93) American Actress, Philanthropist
There is a certain combination of anarchy and discipline in the way I work.
—Robert De Niro (b.1943) American Actor, Film Director, Film Producer
Cheerfulness, in most cheerful people, is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.
—Edwin Percy Whipple (1819–86) American Literary Critic
Don’t think you can attain total awareness and whole enlightenment without proper discipline and practice. This is egomania. Appropriate rituals channel your emotions and life energy toward the light. Without the discipline to practice them, you will tumble constantly backward into darkness.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
When the fight begins within himself, a man’s worth something.
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet
I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint.
—Hesiod (f.700 BCE) Greek Poet
Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today’s actions to tomorrow’s results. There’s a season for sowing a season for reaping. Self-discipline helps you know which is which.
—Gary Ryan Blair
Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them, and the day will come when you will be able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them!
—Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American Author
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
One discipline always leads to another discipline.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
We are not to make the ideas of contentment and aspiration quarrel, for God made them fast friends.—A man may aspire, and yet be quite content until it is time to rise; and both flying and resting are but parts of one contentment. The very fruit of the gospel is aspiration. It is to the heart what spring is to the earth, making every root, and bud, and bough desire to be more.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Nothing so obstinately stands in the way of all sorts of progress as pride of opinion; while nothing is so foolish and baseless.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.
—Bum Phillips (1923–2013) American Football Coach
Practice yourself, for heaven’s sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
A colt is worth little if it does not break its halter.
—Common Proverb
When things are steep, remember to stay level-headed.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
The consistent anarchist should be a socialist, but a socialist of a particular sort. He will not only oppose alienated and specialized labor and look forward to the appropriation of capital by the whole body of workers, but he will also insist that this appropriation be direct, not exercised by some elite force acting in the name of the proletariat. Some sort of council communism is the natural form of revolutionary socialism in an industrial society. It reflects the intuitive understanding that democracy is largely a sham when the industrial system is controlled by any form of autocratic elite, whether of owners, managers, and technocrats, a “vanguard” party, or a State bureaucracy.
—Noam Chomsky (b.1928) American Linguist, Social Critic
To discipline ourselves through fasting brings us in tune with God, and fast day provides an occasion to set aside the temporal so that we might enjoy the higher qualities of the spiritual. As we fast on that day we learn and better understand the needs of those who are less fortunate.
—Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) American Mormon Religious Leader
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself to do the thing you have to do when it ought to be done whether you like it or not. It is the first lesson that ought to be learned and however early a person’s training begins, it is probably the last lesson a person learn thoroughly.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
How shall I be able to rule over others, that have not full power and command of myself?
—Francois Rabelais (1494–1553) French Humanist, Satirist
It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people’s lives.
—Clint Eastwood (b.1930) American Film Director, Film Producer, Film Actor
It isn’t until you come to a spiritual understanding of who you are—not necessarily a religious feeling, but deep down, the spirit within—that you can begin to take control.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
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