Elizabeth Morgan | Is indiscipline stifling development?

Heeding discipline shows the way to life

– The book of Proverbs

Without discipline there is no life.

– Katharine Hepburn

AROUND THE world, we are seeing the increasing erosion of discipline, which includes heeding rules and regulations, and abiding by a code of conduct for civilised living. As a small island developing state, Jamaica sees value in having a disciplined, rules-based international system, in which we all have rights, obligations and responsibilities. There is now concern that US President Donald Trump is destroying this international rules-based system, flawed though it may be. Yet, at the national level, discipline, through a rules-based system, does not seem to be valued by many, and this is an ongoing concern.

DISCIPLINE CHALLENGED

So rules and regulations are being challenged at every opportunity – at school, in the workplace, in various institutions, on our roads, in communities generall; in our apartment and townhouse complexes, in sports, and even in Parliament. There are rights, given through laws and regulations, which apparently do not also have accompanying obligations and responsibilities.

Yet, Jamaica’s goal has been to become a developed country by 2030 – the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business. With 2030 only five years away, practically, that goal is not realistic now. It is recognised that to increase production and the rate of growth, Jamaica has to increase productivity. Reference is made to articles on this subject in this column on ‘Work ethics and productivity in Jamaica’ published on June 26, 2024 and ‘Ease of doing business in Jamaica?’ of October 16, 2024. Good work ethic and increasing productivity involve discipline.

A complete reading of the biblical book of Proverbs reveals a collection of wise sayings (aphorisms) to guide living, which promote, in general, attaining wisdom, discipline, and understanding, to acquire a worthwhile standard of life, based on what is right, just and fair. The book of Proverbs was written before the time of Christ in the era of Kings Solomon and Hezekiah, and offers wise sayings from ancient traditions. While there are some sayings which are questionable from our vantage point in the 21st Century, in general, these proverbs remain relevant to this day. As actress Katharine Hepburn and others recognised, discipline should be a way of life.

Prudence requires knowledge, good judgement and vision. A successful individual, family, society, government, to achieve goals, should exercise prudence and discipline. The prudence part includes employing critical thinking. Our Government tells us regularly how important it is to our economic growth and development to consistently exercise fiscal discipline and prudence. Is it emphasised that as a society, we need to exercise discipline and prudence in daily life? Are they setting examples?

DISCIPLINE, A WAY OF LIFE

There is no doubt that Jamaicans have talent and great potential for achieving our development goals. We see companies, teams and individuals, with vision, discipline and determination, achieving success at the highest international levels. Yet, since Independence, as a nation collectively, we have struggled to achieve our development goals. Let’s be practical, there are many reasons for this which originate from internal and external sources. A concern, however, is that since Independence, we have witnessed a breakdown of the moral fabric of Jamaican society. Jamaica has become a most undisciplined society with little regard for the rule of law.

Indiscipline has increased all across the society, including church, school, police, parliament, and in general governance. Indiscipline is the route to anarchy. Without discipline and prudence, life could indeed become ‘nasty, brutish and short’. Without discipline and prudence, we will continue to struggle to achieve our development goals as a nation. To paraphrase Michael Jackson’s song Man in the Mirror, if we want to make a change, to make a difference in Jamaica, we have to start with ourselves. We need to not only sing our national anthem, but to read it, ponder its words, and put them into practice.

Discipline should be instilled from the home; “home training” used to be very important. As it says in Proverbs, if you love your children, you will train them to be disciplined people, to value prudence, and when they are old they will not depart from it. In our society, it will take much to change course. We will have to address the ills on multiple fronts. Hopefully, it will not be too late to pull us back from the brink.

None of this, however, is suggesting that laws, regulations, and codes of conduct cannot be reviewed and updated, recognising that a society functions within the rule of law, but that society evolves, and there are processes for effecting change.

Elizabeth Morgan is a specialist in international trade policy and international politics. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com