Why Discipline?

People are the most important resource of any organization, yet they are the most difficult to handle, especially their discipline. You will agree with me that people nowadays have more fears, frustrations, hatred, resentments, dissatisfaction, gripes, loss of hope, loss of trust and confidence, grudges, bitterness, and other behavioral problems than they had twenty years ago. These are usually manifested in terms of rallies, boycotts, people power, mutiny, and other criminalities. These behavioral problems plus the new developments and temptations of modern life are basically the major influences and causes of various disciplinary problems happening around us. If I will extrapolate the trend of these disciplinary problems twenty years from now, I doubt if these problems can still be reversed. Indeed, the serious problem of our times is the deteriorating discipline of the people. We are practically heading for disciplinary crises in the future.

I was Inspired to write this book because of the various cases of disciplinary problems happening these days. You can call me a pessimist, but I can assure you, the disciplinary problems in most of our organizations including our country in general will most likely not dissipate given the present condition and situation both here and abroad. It may even get worse in the years ahead. Situations and temptations are becoming too complicated daily as a result of the impending globalization, mass poverty, ignorance, injustices, population growth, advancement in technology, political instability, secessionist and rebel movements, serious economic problems. graft and corruption, and terrorism, among others. There are no other options but to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

In all fronts, our nation is confronted with all kinds of war -political, economic, and soc/a/- Like soldiers, we cannot win these wars with weapons alone. It is the discipline of our soldiers (in this case the Fillpino people) behind these weapons, which can make the difference. The knowledge of discipline is the key! I cannot imagine any single person or institution that can ever solve this foreseeable breakdown of discipline in the future - not even the highest official of the land, who is the President.