Askesis
Dear Collective,
I want to talk about a word that has been totally misused by our modern world. It’s the word discipline.
When most people hear it, they think of a school principal, a strict diet, or someone wagging a finger at them. They think of it as a cage, a negative, and wrong. Discipline is something we should avoid because it hurts.
The ancient Greeks had a word for this kind of training: Askesis. Before it ever meant denying yourself pleasure, it was the literal word for an athlete’s daily rehearsal.
To a Greek runner or wrestler, askesis wasn't a punishment. They didn't wake up at dawn to train because they hated themselves or because they were trying to pay a penalty. They did it because they wanted to be the absolute best version of themselves, so they went out and actually did the work required to become it.
They understood a brutal truth that we often try to ignore: You cannot claim an identity without the practice that backs it up.
You can’t go out there and say you are an athlete if you never train. You can’t call yourself a writer if you never sit down to write. You can't say you value your health and then consistently vote against it when the choice gets tough.
We think we are punishing ourselves by choosing the harder route, but it’s actually a rescue mission.
Without the askesis—the daily, deliberate practice—you can't have the victory. The training itself is the reward because it is the only thing that gives you the capability to win. If you do all the work and you get exactly what you wanted from yourself, that isn't a sentence. That’s a prize.
Discipline isn't a fine you pay for being imperfect. It is the tool you use to build the masterpiece.
This week, when you’re staring down a heavy set or a hard decision outside the gym, change the lens. Stop looking at your discipline as something that limits your life, and start seeing it as the thing that frees you.
Don't do it because you "have" to. Do it because you decided who you want to be, and you’re willing to show up for the rehearsal.
With Strength and Discipline,
Charlie We, The Collective Fitness