Who says discipline is ahead of the pack with knowledge?

Written by: Jezreel Madsa

For many, if not all, discipline is always given premium over knowledge, inasmuch as the
former relates with socially acceptable decorum; the latter, however, drives the tendency
hammer, so to speak, to foster arrogance within oneself. Surprisingly, others may even go further
to the extent of saying that knowledge is of no use if you are bereft with discipline. Or that
knowledge has no significance if it is not accompanied with ideal behavior.

But does such objection above have any merit of its own? Is it even correct to say that
knowledge is useless apart from discipline? Well, I beg to disagree, albeit with qualifications.

Before we cut to the chase, let us initially probe the heart of the matter and relatively provide
logical arguments to support the claim being made. After all, what truly counts in this matter is
argumentargument that has substantial basisand not merely an emotive appeal to subjective
judgment.

More importantly, the questions that have to be asked from the very outset is thatis it even
right to pit discipline against knowledge? Are they even at odds with each other? The assumption
seems to be that it is as if the former can stand alone apart from the latter, or vice versa.

Unfortunately, this kind of formulation has negative ramifications. Say for instance, when
students over-accentuate the importance of discipline, the awful tendency is that students may
run the risk of downplaying knowledge as if it possesses lesser significance. On the other facet, if
one underscores knowledge at the expense of discipline would eventually tend to merely breed
arrogance of no avail. There must be room to accommodate both. There should be balance with
respect to how we view those two important attributes of humanity.

While discipline is so important to the life of every student insofar as it largely describes their
professionality, it is a gross mistake however to suppose that we would no longer prize
knowledge because what we need is mere discipline. Besides, discipline cannot be called
discipline apart from knowledge; knowing that it is our knowledge that informs our discipline
and it is our discipline that reifies our knowledge. Therefore, you cannot have one apart from the
other any more than you can have a body without an eye.

It is of huge important to be meticulous enough as we deal with any matter. We should not play
down the significance of knowledge for simple reasons that it is the principal requirement for
everyone to pass the LET Examination. And equally, we should not be tone down discipline
because our behavior tells much of us than what we say or brag.