Escape and evade refers to prisoners of war, having escaped their prisons and evading those pursuing them. It is common enough among military to be known as simply E & E.

I use the phrase “E & E” to refer to the two primary ways people have of avoiding being self-disciplined:

  • Excuses
  • Euphemisms

Excuses are fairly obvious: an explanation for why one is taking the easier path, with the definition of discipline being taking the more difficult path. These excuses are usually flimsy, and a good way to counter them is to ask: “Would I advise someone else (a competitor, a loved one) to do the same as I’m considering?”

Euphemisms are less obvious. Those are the phrases we use that are not quite accurate or honest. Usually there is a reason that we’d prefer to be inaccurate or dishonest, mainly because the truth is painful. (Thus soldiers that have been killed are referred to as “the fallen”, to avoid the stark reality and permanance of death.)

The fundamental issue with excuses and euphemisms is that they are easy and misleading, whether we’re aware of that or not. So a good practice is to be honest with oneself.

Discipline is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

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