As the progressive educator Alfie Kohn points out in his essay Why Self-Discipline Is Overrated, the child who always completes her homework the moment it’s assigned looks like a paragon of virtue. But the truth may be that she “wants – or, more accurately, needs – to get the assignment out of the way in order to stave off anxiety”. She may hate leaving anything unfinished, or feel that her worth depends on her performance. This is sometimes a good way to get your work done (except when it backfires, as in my case), but it’s no recipe for an enjoyable life. We praise those who demonstrate “intrinsic motivation”, but sometimes all that means is that they have successfully internalised society’s drill-sergeant. We call them “driven”, which should be a clue: they are being yelled at, only by themselves.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/23/self-discipline-overrated-go-easy-yourself-this-column-will-change-your-life-oliver-burkeman
