Discipline vs. Manners — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 28, 2023
Discipline refers to controlled behavior or self-control, often requiring training. Manners are specific behavioral guidelines in social situations, emphasizing politeness.
Difference Between Discipline and Manners
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Discipline typically involves training oneself or others to follow a particular order or code of behavior. It's a broad concept that can apply to many areas of life, from personal habits to professional work ethics. Discipline requires consistency, commitment, and sometimes sacrifice to maintain a desired behavior or to avoid undesired ones.
Manners, conversely, are specific rules of conduct in social situations. They pertain to how one interacts with others, ensuring respect and courtesy. Manners can vary across cultures and societies but usually emphasize making those around one comfortable through one's behavior.
When thinking about personal growth and development, Discipline plays a crucial role. It's the force that helps individuals stick to their resolutions, wake up early for a workout, or avoid procrastination. Discipline is often self-imposed, aiming to achieve long-term benefits despite short-term challenges.
In contrast, Manners play a pivotal role in social harmony. They dictate how one should behave at the dinner table, how to greet someone, or how to converse without offending. While discipline is internal and personal, manners are external and interpersonal, directly impacting those around us.
In essence, both Discipline and Manners contribute to the fabric of societal functioning. While discipline helps maintain personal order and growth, manners ensure smooth, respectful, and harmonious interpersonal interactions.
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Comparison Chart
Nature
Broad concept of controlled behavior
Specific rules of conduct in social scenarios
Focus
Personal habits and work ethics
Interaction and politeness
Scope
Personal and professional
Social and cultural
Impact
Personal growth and development
Social harmony and respect
Imposition
Often self-imposed
Societal or cultural imposition
Compare with Definitions
Discipline
Discipline is action or inaction that is regulated to be in accordance (or to achieve accord) with a particular system of governance. Discipline is commonly applied to regulating human and animal behavior to its society or environment it belongs.
Manners
The way something is done or happens.
The manners of her speech were captivating.
Discipline
Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement
Was raised in the strictest discipline.
Manners
A person's outward bearing or demeanor.
His arrogant manners made him unpopular.
Discipline
Control obtained by enforcing compliance or order
Military discipline.
Manners
Socially acceptable behavior and etiquette.
Good manners are appreciated in formal settings.
Discipline
Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control
Dieting takes a lot of discipline.
Manners
A way of doing something or the way in which a thing is done or happens
Prepared for the trip in a very organized manner.
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to rules and authority
A teacher who demanded discipline in the classroom.
Manners
A way of acting; bearing or behavior
He is known for his reserved manner.
Discipline
Punishment intended to correct or train
Subjected to harsh discipline.
Manners
The socially correct way of acting; etiquette
Had trouble mastering manners in his new country.
Discipline
A set of rules or methods, as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order.
Manners
The prevailing customs, social conduct, and norms of a specific society, period, or group, especially as the subject of a literary work
A novel of 18th-century manners.
Discipline
A branch of knowledge or teaching
The discipline of mathematics.
Manners
Practice, style, execution, or method in the arts
This fresco is typical of the painter's early manner.
Discipline
To train by instruction and practice, as in following rules or developing self-control
The sergeant disciplined the recruits to become soldiers.
Manners
Kind; sort
What manner of person is she?.
Discipline
To punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience.
Manners
Kinds; sorts
Saw all manner of people at the mall.
Discipline
To impose order on
Needed to discipline their study habits.
Manners
Plural of manner
Discipline
A controlled behaviour; self-control.
Manners
Etiquette.
Discipline
An enforced compliance or control.
Manners
Social deportment;
He has the manners of a pig
Discipline
A systematic method of obtaining obedience.
Manners
Polite or well-bred behavior.
Children are often taught manners from a young age.
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to authority.
Manners
Customary ways of behaving in a society.
Different countries have different table manners.
Discipline
A set of rules regulating behaviour.
Discipline
A punishment to train or maintain control.
Discipline
A specific branch of knowledge or learning.
Discipline
A category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs.
Discipline
(transitive) To train someone by instruction and practice.
Discipline
(transitive) To teach someone to obey authority.
Discipline
(transitive) To punish someone in order to (re)gain control.
Discipline
(transitive) To impose order on someone.
Discipline
The treatment suited to a disciple or learner; education; development of the faculties by instruction and exercise; training, whether physical, mental, or moral.
Wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity.
Discipline aims at the removal of bad habits and the substitution of good ones, especially those of order, regularity, and obedience.
Discipline
Training to act in accordance with established rules; accustoming to systematic and regular action; drill.
Their wildness lose, and, quitting nature's part,Obey the rules and discipline of art.
Discipline
Subjection to rule; submissiveness to order and control; habit of obedience.
The most perfect, who have their passions in the best discipline, are yet obliged to be constantly on their guard.
Discipline
Severe training, corrective of faults; instruction by means of misfortune, suffering, punishment, etc.
A sharp discipline of half a century had sufficed to educate us.
Discipline
Correction; chastisement; punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
Giving her the discipline of the strap.
Discipline
The subject matter of instruction; a branch of knowledge.
Discipline
The enforcement of methods of correction against one guilty of ecclesiastical offenses; reformatory or penal action toward a church member.
Discipline
Self-inflicted and voluntary corporal punishment, as penance, or otherwise; specifically, a penitential scourge.
Discipline
A system of essential rules and duties; as, the Romish or Anglican discipline.
Discipline
To educate; to develop by instruction and exercise; to train.
Discipline
To accustom to regular and systematic action; to bring under control so as to act systematically; to train to act together under orders; to teach subordination to; to form a habit of obedience in; to drill.
Ill armed, and worse disciplined.
His mind . . . imperfectly disciplined by nature.
Discipline
To improve by corrective and penal methods; to chastise; to correct.
Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly?
Discipline
To inflict ecclesiastical censures and penalties upon.
Discipline
A branch of knowledge;
In what discipline is his doctorate?
Teachers should be well trained in their subject
Anthropology is the study of human beings
Discipline
A system of rules of conduct or method of practice;
He quickly learned the discipline of prison routine
For such a plan to work requires discipline
Discipline
The trait of being well behaved;
He insisted on discipline among the troops
Discipline
Training to improve strength or self-control
Discipline
The act of punishing;
The offenders deserved the harsh discipline they received
Discipline
Train by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control;
Parents must discipline their children
Is this dog trained?
Discipline
Punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience;
The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently
Discipline
Training to improve strength or self-control.
Martial arts require rigorous discipline.
Discipline
The practice of training oneself to obey rules.
Discipline is key to a successful study routine.
Discipline
Control gained by enforcing obedience or order.
The new manager brought discipline to the chaotic team.
Discipline
Behavior in accord with rules of conduct.
Discipline in classrooms leads to effective learning.
Discipline
A field of study or expertise.
She pursued a discipline in molecular biology.
Common Curiosities
Can Discipline be self-imposed?
Yes, often discipline is self-imposed for personal growth.
Why are Manners important in society?
Manners ensure respectful and harmonious social interactions.
Can Discipline apply to professional settings?
Yes, discipline in work ethics can lead to professional success.
Are Manners universal?
No, manners can vary across cultures and societies.
How does Discipline aid personal development?
Discipline helps maintain consistency and commitment to goals.
Are Discipline and Manners the same?
No, discipline is about controlled behavior, while manners focus on social etiquette.
Can Manners be learned?
Absolutely, manners are often taught from a young age.
Does Discipline always mean punishment?
No, discipline is more about training and control than punishment.
How do Manners affect relationships?
Good manners can foster respect and understanding in relationships.
How do Manners reflect culture?
Manners often encapsulate cultural values and norms.
Do Manners change over time?
Yes, societal norms and manners can evolve.
Is Discipline always self-driven?
Not always, discipline can also be instilled by external factors.
What's a benefit of having strong Discipline?
It helps in achieving long-term goals despite short-term challenges.
Are table etiquette and Manners the same?
Table etiquette is a subset of manners focused on dining.
Can Discipline be applied to mental tasks?
Yes, mental tasks like studying require discipline.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
