On where 'discipline' is misunderstood, the culture that produced the misunderstanding, and how it became radical to choose to be great. Misunderstanding Discipline Sitting in my doctoral training, I brought up the importance of learning to be disciplined and to discipline the mind. I would beg you to try — to say that word in a room full of people wired to preach compassion, and watch what happens. Half of the room flinches. The other half go quiet. Some look at me as if I a