--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In some eras, self-control defines the…" description: "\"“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch. In others it is j..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/steven-pinker-526_discipline_in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-pa_90007.jpg" --- # In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent… ![“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch. In others it is jeered at as uptight, prudish, stuffy, straitlaced, puritanical. Certainly the crime-prone 1960s were the recent era that most glorified the…” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/steven-pinker-526_discipline_in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-pa_90007.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/steven-pinker-526_discipline_in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-pa_90007.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/steven-pinker-526_discipline_in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-pa_90007.jpg) > ““In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch. In others it is jeered at as uptight, prudish, stuffy, straitlaced, puritanical. Certainly the crime-prone 1960s were the recent era that most glorified the relaxation of self-control: Do your own thing, Let it all hang out, If it feels good do it, Take a walk on the wild side.”” [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cultural standards for self‑control shift over time; what is praised in one era may be mocked in another, reflecting broader social values. **In simple terms:** Self‑control trends change with culture. Key Takeaway Norms about restraint are historically contingent. Themes culture self‑control historical change social norms Mood reflective analytical Type cultural analysis philosophical When to use this quote - fashion trends - workplace dress codes - parenting styles Key Concepts relativism moral psychology Practical Applications - Contextualize behavior judgments - Teach flexibility in social expectations Questions to Reflect On - What drives the swing between restraint and freedom? - How do we balance personal authenticity with social expectations? A Different Perspective Some core aspects of self‑control (e.g., impulse regulation) remain beneficial across eras. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-control/) [Wild side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-side/) ## Related quotes > [Never take a person's dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-barron/never-take-a-person-s-dignity-it-is-worth-everything-to-them-and/) [Frank Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-barron/) > [“There is, after all, a real limit to how much ordinary people can learn and know, and to demand that each and every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/there-is-after-all-a-real-limit-to-how-much-ordinary-people-can-learn/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“Some primal instinct tells the parent, or the person down on their luck, than if we let it go — the child's hand, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-underwood/some-primal-instinct-tells-the-parent-or-the-person-down-on-their/) [Bobby Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-underwood/) > [I think that what I'm attracted to is people who are wild. But the self-destructive side comes out of the wild side. The wildness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-think-that-what-i-m-attracted-to-is-people-who-are-wild-but-the/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [When I was a kid, my first favorite song was probably Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rapaport/when-i-was-a-kid-my-first-favorite-song-was-probably-lou-reed-s-walk/) [Michael Rapaport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rapaport/) > [I think my brand of country music is that's been influenced by not just the rough-stock rodeo side or Ted Nugent's "let's get crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-think-my-brand-of-country-music-is-that-s-been-influenced-by-not/) [Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/) > [Some of us like to take a walk on the wild side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/some-of-us-like-to-take-a-walk-on-the-wild-side/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [“We have FCC, abandoned alimony payments, assault and battery, Homeland Security escalation, and that's before we invite the IRS to take a walk on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldstein/we-have-fcc-abandoned-alimony-payments-assault-and-battery-homeland/) [Ken Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldstein/) > [Take a walk on the wild side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/take-a-walk-on-the-wild-side/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [“Lou Reed drove Honda scooters these days, and I was a hell of a lot closer to the wild side than him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-moore/lou-reed-drove-honda-scooters-these-days-and-i-was-a-hell-of-a-lot/) [Warren Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-moore/) > [ 'Broad City' \[series\] has a wild side, but it also has a very heartfelt side. It's very human. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-glazer/broad-city-series-has-a-wild-side-but-it-also-has-a-very-heartfelt/) [Ilana Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-glazer/) > [I want a country boy Who knows how to treat a lady but still has a wild side. Who looks hot as hell just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obviously-me-p/i-want-a-country-boy-who-knows-how-to-treat-a-lady-but-still-has-a/) Obviously Me :p > [“The place is special, but mostly because how it turns my thoughts." He looked around them. "When I look at mountains like that, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricia-goyer/the-place-is-special-but-mostly-because-how-it-turns-my-thoughts-he/) [Tricia Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricia-goyer/) > [“I don’t want to go home yet.” He twisted at the waist and patted the seat behind him. “Take a walk on the wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-stewart/i-don-t-want-to-go-home-yet-he-twisted-at-the-waist-and-patted-the/) [J.M. Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-stewart/) > [You're my bad boy fairytale Since jamming with the dark side I wanna be your bad girl You bring out my wild side Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/you-re-my-bad-boy-fairytale-since-jamming-with-the-dark-side-i-wanna/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) ## More by Steven Pinker > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [As many political writers have pointed out, commitment to political equality is not an empirical claim that people are clones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/as-many-political-writers-have-pointed-out-commitment-to-political/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Since violence is largely a male pastime, cultures that empower women tend to move away from the glorification of violence and are less likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/since-violence-is-largely-a-male-pastime-cultures-that-empower-women/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Morality is not just any old topic in psychology but close to our conception of the meaning of life. Moral goodness is what gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/morality-is-not-just-any-old-topic-in-psychology-but-close-to-our/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Part of the bargain of being alive is that one takes a chance at dying a premature or painful death, be it from violence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/part-of-the-bargain-of-being-alive-is-that-one-takes-a-chance-at/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [In fact, without a specification of a creature's goals, the very idea of intelligence is meaningless. A toadstool could be given a genius award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-fact-without-a-specification-of-a-creature-s-goals-the-very-idea/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The obvious cure for the tragic shortcomings of human intuition in a high-tech world is education. And this offers priorities for educational policy: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-obvious-cure-for-the-tragic-shortcomings-of-human-intuition-in-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-you-look-in-general-at-people-who-live-in-anarchy-they-have-quite/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Knowledge is a continuous fabric, in which ideas are connected to other ideas. Reason-free zones, in which people can assert arbitrary beliefs safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/knowledge-is-a-continuous-fabric-in-which-ideas-are-connected-to/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Gossip is certainly one of the things that language is useful for, because it's always handy to know who needs a favor, who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/gossip-is-certainly-one-of-the-things-that-language-is-useful-for/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) [Explore all 495 Steven Pinker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## More Discipline quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/) W.J. Turner > [You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victories proceed Public Victories. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-can-t-have-the-fruits-without-the-roots-it-s-the-principle-of/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. It's not because I'm a disciplined person. It's because I'm crazy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-always-writing-i-m-an-obsessive-it-s-not-because-i-m-a/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [The undisciplined child enters into discipline by working in the company of others; not being told he is naughty.” “Discipline is, therefore, primarily a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-undisciplined-child-enters-into-discipline-by-working-in-the/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [“Proverbs from the East: The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. Even though I make no special attempt to observe the discipline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/proverbs-from-the-east-the-wind-howls-but-the-mountain-remains-still/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/cheerfulness-in-most-cheerful-people-is-the-rich-and-satisfying/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Stay in your seat come times of trouble. Its only people who jump off the roller coaster who get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-harvey/stay-in-your-seat-come-times-of-trouble-its-only-people-who-jump-off/) [Paul Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-harvey/) [Browse all 5,597 Discipline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch. In others it is jeered at as uptight, prudish, stuffy, straitlaced, puritanical. 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