Item 5 in Nine Noble Virtues
Discipline
Develop reliable control over conduct and follow through on worthwhile commitments.
- Position
- 5
- Form
- Virtue to cultivate
- Obligation
- Aspirational
- Wording status
- Editorial paraphrase
- Intended audience
- Some modern Heathen, Odinist and Ásatrú communities
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Canonical name: Discipline
Source wording
Editorial paraphrase: Develop reliable control over conduct and follow through on worthwhile commitments.
Literal meaning
Develop reliable control over conduct and follow through on worthwhile commitments.
Broader interpretation
This item should be interpreted within the historical purpose, intended audience and wider structure of its parent ethical framework.
Historical context
This item belongs to Nine Noble Virtues. Twentieth century, especially the 1970s; Modern British and transatlantic Heathenry.
Practical meaning
Practical application requires attention to intention, consent, evidence, rights, foreseeable effects and the needs of all persons or beings affected.
Ethical purpose
To shape conduct, judgment or character in a way consistent with the wider framework.
Exceptions and disputes
Discipline is morally neutral unless the goal and method are themselves defensible.
Variations across schools or traditions
Wording and interpretation may vary between translations, denominations, schools and historical periods.
Modern application
Modern application should distinguish the historical formulation from present legal, social and ethical conditions.
Criticism and difficult cases
Discipline is morally neutral unless the goal and method are themselves defensible.
Truth By Reason analysis
Truth By Reason assesses this principle through evidence, intentions, rights, foreseeable consequences, consistency and the treatment of all affected beings.
Ethical themes
Sources
- The Nine Noble Virtues Commentary / interpretation