In this day and age, Is there still space to talk about discipline?
Newsroom (April 29, 2022, 8:00 PM, Gaudium Press) The title of this article rephrases, with more rhyme, the old proverb: “It’s the smallest thing that makes the cucumber tart”, referring to the need to take care of the cucumber tree from an early age, straightening it with stakes and thinning it with pruning. Applied to men, the maxim correlates to the Biblical dictum (Pr 22:6): “Teach a child the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Thus, good formation presupposes from an early age a certain “discipline,” that is, an action proper to the “disciple,” in an orderly manner, with focus and tenacity. In this way, man develops learning methods for various areas of knowledge, the so-called “disciplines”.
For some, “discipline” means “punishment”, and is thus confused with pure authoritarianism. Laxity rejects it a priori; however, it can be useful in exceptional situations, in a way analogous to the positive effects of a stricter diet for the cure of certain diseases. Discipline, however, is only salutary if allied to temperance.
Caraça College
In the pedagogical field, the reputation of “rigidity” of the traditional Caraça College, founded in 1820, in Catas Altas-MG, was proverbial. In fact, the boarding school for boys, run by Lazarist Fathers, had a regimented routine, commitment to classical studies, and demanding conditioning, though always seeking balance: “The students will be formed – demands the Statute of 1955 – in a soft and firm discipline that avoids, with the same care, an exaggerated rigorism and a harmful largeness”.
Even so, the rumour mill was spreading that the school would be a kind of dungeon for disobedient students… Nothing could be further from the truth: from there emerged eminent characters from the ecclesiastical, intellectual, military and political life of Minas Gerais and the nation, including two presidents of the Republic – Afonso Pena and Arthur Bernardes. It is also worth mentioning that it was during the period of greatest disciplinary observance – between 1867-1885, during Father Clavelin’s administration – that the institution also reached the highest number of enrollments (between 300-400).
Discipline and performance
One might object that the use of discipline was bequeathed to the past; inapplicable, therefore, to the “smartphone era.” This is not what experience and academic studies have shown. It is enough to mention the case of Diego Franco Araújo, 19, from Minas Gerais, who this year passed in first place in Medicine at USP. The young man reports that, in order to overcome the vestibular with such success, he applied a practical study routine, with practice drills, discipline and self-knowledge, allied to moments of leisure. In this context, a 2005 survey conducted by Duckworth and Seligman with 140 8th grade students found that self-discipline was twice as important as IQ for good student performance.
This also applies to good performance in sports. The mother of Rayssa Leal, Brazil’s youngest Olympic medalist (age 12), commented on her daughter’s achievement: “The result has nothing to do with age, but it is effort and discipline that makes a champion.
“The factory of digital cretins”
In the face of the current avalanche of distractions, in particular, caused by electronic devices, the “spice” of discipline is even more required. This is the conclusion of the book “The factory of digital cretins: The dangers of screens for our children” (Vestígio, 2021), by French neuroscientist Michel Desmurget. The work proves, for example, that good school performance is inversely proportional to the exposure time to screens – computers, cell phones, television, etc. – which are increasingly more common in children. -which are increasingly used for entertainment and less for school work.
The author also cites a 2011 study that analyzed three parenting styles: permissive (no rules), authoritarian (rigidly imposed rules), and persuasive (explained rules). The article evidenced that the number of children susceptible to watching TV for more than 4 hours a day in each group was 20%, 13% and 7% respectively. In other words, disciplinary rules are more effective if applied – and explained – wisely.
Desmurget concludes that the new generations’ playful consumption of digital devices is not only exaggerated but out of control. Considering the poor performance of Brazilian students in world education rankings, our situation may be even more serious.
To conclude: how is the situation at home? Have you thought about turning off electronic devices a little? Such human activities as talking, singing, playing, reading, etc. will flow automatically… In fact, just as a plant needs not only pruning and stakes, but also that which comes from above – the Sun and the rain – so man needs, besides discipline, to contemplate more the things from above – the Most High, the transcendent, the high values of life – and less the opaque glow of digital screens. In this way, the “cucumber” will not only grow well but will also bear great fruit.
By Felipe de Azevedo Ramos, EP
Compiled by Zephania Gangl
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