Member-only story
Everything That Most People Believe About Self-Discipline is Wrong
Why Ryan Holiday believes the ideas of self-discipline, self-mastery, and self-control are ripe for a complete overhaul
“At the core of this idea of self-mastery is an instinctive reaction against anything that masters us. Who can be free when they have lost, as one addiction specialist put it, ‘the freedom to abstain?’”
-Ryan Holiday, Discipline is Destiny
The entire concept of self-discipline is due for a total reframe. One of the biggest reasons why conquering laziness, apathy, and vice is so hard for so many people is because they’re thinking about self-discipline in entirely the wrong way.
It’s not a punishment; it’s a gift. By reigning in your worst impulses, you’re giving yourself the freedom to max out your life.
Being controlled by externals — whether they be addictions, compulsions, or faulty programming — is no way to go through life. I mean, what kind of life is it if you’re able to be dragged about by every impulse, distraction, or temptation that presents itself to your consciousness?
How good does getting drunk really feel when you realize you don’t have the power not to?
How fun is social media when the number of likes you get on a post can dictate whether you have…
