The Road Less Traveled
    A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth
M. Scott Peck, M.D.

Problems and Pain

- Life is difficult
    - Once we truly see this truth, we transcend it
    - Once we truly understand and accept it--then life is no longer difficult
    - The fact that life is difficult no longer matters
- We believe that life should be easy
- Life is a series of problems
- Discipline: the basic set of tools we require to solve life's problems
    - Without discipline we can solve nothing
    - Total discipline: we can solve all problems
- Difficult because: process of confronting and solving problems is a painful one
- Whole process of meeting/solving problems gives life its meaning
    - Problems create our courage and wisdom
    - Only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually
    - Wise people don't dread, but actually welcome problems
- Almost all of us fear pain, avoid problems
- Tendency to avoid problems and pain is primary basis of all human mental illness
    - Most of us are mentally ill, to greater or lesser degree
    - Neurosis is always a substitute for legimate suffering (Jung)
- Some possess the courage to learn how to experience legitimate suffering
    - In chronic mental illness, we stop growing, become stuck
- Let us teach ourselves & our children the necessity for suffering and value thereof
    - Discipline: techniques of suffering
    - Allows us to experience pain of problems in such a way as to work through them and
            solve them successfully, learning and growing in the process
- Discipline:
        1. Delaying of gratification
        2. Acceptance of responsibility
        3. Dedication to truth
        4. Balancing
- Problem is not in acceptance of these tools, but will to use them
- Will to use them is: love

Life is a series of problems & suffering.    Legitimate suffering is the only way in which we acquire courage and wisdom and grow mentally and spiritually.    In order to grow, we need to use discipline to confront and solve life's problems.    Discipline includes 4 tools: 1) delaying of gratification, 2) acceptance of responsibility, 3) dedication to truth, and 4) balancing.