What does it mean to be disciplined?

[Bob]

Yeah, that sounds kind of wrong too.


More on the practical side, not so philsophical.

I'm wondering because there's something with pushing yourself where you wear out.  At that point -- either fatigued or in less-than-ideal form -- should you continue to practice, back off, stop?....

I'm thinking back off.  But does that make you less disciplined? 

Or does discipine mean not pushing yourself that much in the first place?  Or pushing harder?

[elspeth]

So far as piano-playing goes - and a lot of other things - discipline is about sensible work done consistently. There's no point playing when you're tired and therefore making mistakes or you end up learning the mistake - it's counterproductive.

I assume you don't mean discipline in the bondage sense... can't imagine you in PVC, Bob!

[soliloquy]

I assume you don't mean discipline in the bondage sense... can't imagine you in PVC, Bob!

I can.


Edit: I AM


No Bob, I don't LIKE the cat-o'-nine-tails!

[counterpoint]

Okay, back to serious 

Discipline means to me, that one is forced (or is forcing oneself) to do something, that one wouldn't do otherwise.

Could this be a good thing? I don't think so!

As artist it's important to be self-critical, but everything you do should come out of a "I want to" and not a "I have to".

[fiddes]

i find disapline to be wanting to do one thing and doing another

when i am at work i sometimes get the urge to completly destroy my computer, but as i am disaplined i only smash the moniter lol

[pianistimo]

bob - at your age you should know these things.  no matter!  i think there is room for older people to sometimes be a bit undisciplined at times.  you know - you keep things rolling for a period of 3-5 years and then - just surprise people.  hopefully, nothing drastic.  show up late for work, generally give your life a boost by just simply being completely unreliable for a period of days to weeks.

[zheer]

Or does discipine mean not pushing yourself that much in the first place?  Or pushing harder?

    People in the military need to be very disciplined,, un-like say the arts, where one needs to dedicate a lot of their time perfecting their art. It's less discipline and more dedication.

     We all have limits.

[zheer]

    Ballay needz diziplin.

[rc]

    People in the military need to be very disciplined,, un-like say the arts, where one needs to dedicate a lot of their time perfecting their art. It's less discipline and more dedication.

Man that's discipline too!  In the arts we don't even have anybody telling us what to do, we have to decide and motivate ourselves.

For Bob's question:  I find after my mind starts getting tired, I'm able to push it a little bit further.  Sometimes I can squeeze out an extra 15 minutes of concentrated practice after I first think I should take a break...  Sometimes the mind is actually being rebellious and actually wants to be doing something else.

[Bob]

PVC?   I thought that was plastic piping.   I don't think I want to know.

I'm just wondering if I'm not working hard enough.  If I'm tired, should I take a break, or push myself?  It doesn't seem like I ever have plenty of energy -- If I took a break, rested, and came back when I had lots of energy... that might never happen.  I could end up on a perpetual break.

That's the energy issue.

But then I'm wondering about the pushing side of things.  Maybe I should be pushing myself a lot more.  Instead of waiting until things feel fairly comfortable.   

I'm just rambling now.   

(goes to look up PVC whatever that is....)

[Bob]

PVC is that white piping.   I see it's also the stuff catwoman wears.  A Norwegian bachelor farmer says, "At least you don't have to worry if you spill something on yourself.  Looks pretty much water-proof."

I did see something about the military and that made me think of these things.  Maybe I need to stick to some set plan/schedule and force things to happen. 


The answer's probably somewhere inbetween.

[pianistimo]

i wouldn't worry bob.  it's a sign of age.  gradually, you start doing less and less and finally just end up in a chair half the day.  not that i would know.  although, today wasn't a very motivating day for me.  i blamed it on the weather.

my five year old and i hung out at the bookstore.  unfortunately she wanted to buy these twisty hair things that take forever to braid and put baubles in.  so i ended up doing that for a while.  once i figured out how.  they wrote a book in such fine print - i was looking at the pictures mostly and then finally decided to just do it my way. 

[dnephi]

To be able to UNLEAZH.

[quasimodo]

To be able to UNLEAZH.

I would say "to do what it takes to be able to UNLEAZH"