Line #2 Main/HarmonyVersusDiscipline


1	-> ''"You had all the answers, but no human touch..."''
2	-->-- '''Music/TheHoosiers''', "Goodbye Mr. A"
3
4	A very basic theme when constructing the conflict between characters in a setting, or against the setting ''itself,'' is to set up two sides with opposing beliefs in how to deal with themselves and the world. The conflict will center around whether characters should seek to discipline themselves, gaining a measure of control over themselves and in so doing the world around them (let's call this side Discipline), or whether they should accept themselves and the world as it is, seeking not to control either but to coexist harmoniously with the forces in their environment (we'll call this side Harmony).
5
6	This conflict can play out in any scale and genre. From [[Franchise/StarWars Jedi versus Sith]] in their view of the Force and TheDarkSide (Do you let it flow through you and enact its will upon the galaxy? Or chafe at the "chains" so imposed and bend it to your will?), to a doctor choosing whether to go on punishing themselves for every patient lost, insisting that they just need to work themselves harder to make themselves be able to save every patient, or admitting that no, they can not save everyone.
7
8	Expanding on the above, Harmony will believe that untamed nature, be it physical, natural or mental, is preferable and that [[StatusQuoIsGod mankind should not try to dominate or change the environment in which it finds itself]]. It believes that doing so is {{Pride}}ful and unnatural, leading only to heartache and [[ScaleOfScientificSins calamity]]. It believes that it is nature (be it Mother Nature, merely nature itself, SentientCosmicForce, TheLifestream, magic, or even human impulses) that binds us all together into a greater whole which knows how best we should all coexist. Because of this outlook, Harmony tends to be reactive, correcting problems rather than seeking to prevent them. All well and good, but the less advertised side of Harmony is that [[NatureIsNotNice nature tends to have a wild, uncontrollable and potentially destructive side]]. It's (usually) completely without malice, but that's cold comfort when a tornado or magically augmented mastodon tears through your house.
9
10	Opposing Harmony is Discipline, the belief that mankind can and should master themselves and their environment for the betterment of all. Be it through mastery of the self through rigorous mental and/or physical training, study, exploration or with laws and civilization, this rigorous pursuit usually advocates science, progress, [[RitualMagic Magic in its intellectual aspect]], religion in its intellectual and organized aspects, innovation, urbanization and {{curiosity\|IsACrapshoot}}. Discipline believes that Harmony is too focused on preserving and accepting, and is in fact defeatist by not trying to improve things, this is why Discipline tends to be active. On the flip side, Discipline ''can'' end up tampering with things best left untouched, can give its practitioners [[AGodAmI a God complex]], and can lose sight of the now in favor of tomorrow. From a less religious and conservative point of view, extreme Discipline can lead to a reckless, aggressive attitude where one destroys or subjugates everything in their way.
11
12	So. Which is right? [[GoodOldWays Harmony]]? [[TheSpartanWay Discipline]]? [[YinYangBomb Both]], or perhaps [[TakeAThirdOption neither]]? Sometimes one and sometimes the other? This is a question of values that has RealLife counterparts and is thus entirely up to the author to decide, assuming they want to take sides in this sometimes thorny debate. Usually, a little of both is needed. Sometimes, you can get Harmony and Discipline to agree temporarily, especially in a setting where [[PassionIsEvil evil is neither harmonious nor disciplined]]. Works that come down firmly on one side or the other have been getting less and less frequent as more and more of the audience of any given work have become more educated and thus more apt to recognize the inherent hypocrisy of an author living in RealLife (where no one would be alive if we didn't have a lot of both going on, especially regarding nature itself) demonizing one or the other.
13
14	As a metaphor, this can play out [[SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory in lots of variations]] using any of the following tropes, or in entirely new ways by mix and matching "Discipline" and "Harmony" factions from this list.
15
16	[[index]]
17	* AllWorkVsAllPlay -- All work is discipline, where all play is harmony.
18	* AthensAndSparta -- Generally speaking, Athens is harmony, while Sparta is discipline.
19	* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil -- Generally, Good is harmony and evil is discipline, though inversions are commonplace.
20	* BrainsVersusBrawn -- Discipline is achieved through brute force imposition of one's will onto the environment. Harmony, through the collection of knowledge about one's relationship to one's environment and knowing how both impact each other. Or conversely, discipline is associated with science and intellectualism, as knowledge is necessary to know ''how'' to exert control over the environment, whereas harmony requires the physical strength to endure the harshness of the natural world.
21	* ElvesVsDwarves -- Elves live in harmony with nature; dwarves seek to tame and utilize its resources.
22	** Or elves can be disciplined soldiers and workers while the dwarves work as a unified, harmonious force through friendship and strong bonds.
23	* EmotionsVsStoicism -- Emotions are harmony, and Stoicism is discipline.
24	* EnlightenmentSuperpowers -- Usually the result of using great discipline to achieve harmony.
25	* FleshVersusSteel -- Harmony's raw strength versus Discipline's keen edge, expressed in physical terms.
26	* FourTemperamentEnsemble -- Phlegmatic is Harmony and Choleric is Discipline. [[OrderVersusChaos The other two are another story]].
27	** If the four are on the side of order, Sanguine and Phlegmatic both represent the Harmony side while Choleric and Melancholic are on the side of Discipline. However, Sanguine and Choleric will try to spread their respective vision while Melancholic and Phlegmatic will make people internalize it.
28	* FurAgainstFang -- Werewolves represent the raw, untamed beast in Harmony with nature; vampires represent the unliving, unnatural beings that use Discipline to manipulate and corrupt their prey.
29	* GentleTouchVsFirmHand -- When applying guidance to others, the Gentle Touch is Harmony while the Firm Hand is Discipline.
30	* HeavenVersusHell -- Heaven is Harmony, and Hell is Discipline; which is which depends on the author's feelings on the topic.
31	* MotherNatureFatherScience -- Harmony is feminine, Discipline is masculine.
32	* MagicVersusScience -- Magic is Harmony, Science is Discipline.
33	* OrderVersusChaos -- It's usually assumed Chaos is Harmony, and that Order is Discipline.
34	* RedOniBlueOni -- The Blue Oni tends to be Harmony, and the Red Discipline.
35	* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment -- In general, Romanticism is Harmony and Enlightenment is Discipline.
36	* ScienceIsBad, [[InHarmonyWithNature Nature Is Good]] -- Science is unharmonious, and thus bad.
37	* SlobsVersusSnobs -- Slobs are Harmony and Snobs are Discipline.
38	* TalentVsTraining -- One contestant is good because he worked at it (Discipline), another because it seems to come naturally to him (Harmony).
39	* TechnicianVersusPerformer -- One person approaches an art through accuracy and sticking to established rules and strategy (Discipline). The other approaches it through innovation and originality (Harmony). Should they join forces, they become a TechnicianPerformerTeamUp, complementing each other's strengths and covering each other's weaknesses.
40	* UnEqualRites -- Magic should either be controlled, treated as art, or treated as religion.
41	[[/index]]
42
43	See also: MagicFromTechnology, {{Magitek}}.
44
45	----
46	!Examples
47
48	These are examples of character or location types that fit into an associated group.
49
50	[[foldercontrol]]
51
52	[[folder: Harmony]]
53	* BarbarianHero
54	* GranolaGirl
55	* NobleSavage
56	* GhibliHills
57	* {{Arcadia}}
58	* CircusBrat compared to MilitaryBrat
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder: Discipline]]
62	* ScienceHero
63	* TheFettered
64	* CrystalSpiresAndTogas
65	* KnightTemplar is this taken to its logical extreme.
66	* {{Steampunk}} cities
67	* MilitaryBrat compared to CircusBrat.
68	* The ClockKing believes in discipline (ScheduleFanatic, AwesomenessByAnalysis) but has LackOfEmpathy for lateness.
69	* TheSpartanWay
70	* SternSunWorshippers
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder: Both]]
74	* The path of the MartialPacifist requires both Discipline and Harmony. In fact, this path to Harmony requires Discipline to follow. Many martial artists would view this trope as a FalseDichotomy. Removing either facet can lead to a variation on the ArrogantKungFuGuy.
75	* Many religions teach love, harmony, and acceptance. It takes true discipline to reach the point where you love your enemy as yourself.
76	* Musical ensembles can't produce Harmony without Discipline.
77
78	[[AC:Fan Works]]
79	* In ''Fanfic/TheVow'', the Shēnghuó Province's Shan Palace and Gongmen City's Tower of the Sacred Flame are both described to be breathtaking structures, albeit in opposite ways, with the former being the Harmony to the latter's Discipline.
80	--> The Shan Palace blended with the nature that surrounded it, a part of the luscious gardens and mountain springs, as if it had grown from the mountains that it was built in; the Tower of the Sacred Flame was a monument of might and majesty, set as an achievement of what its builders could do without nature.
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82	[[AC:Film]]
83	* In ''Film/ChariotsOfFire'', Eric is more Harmony, though he as a good streak of discipline as well. Harold is the extreme of discipline.
84	* The [[Franchise/StarWars Jedi and the Sith]] actually both embody Harmony and Discipline, but in opposite areas. The Jedi strive to master their emotions and do the will of the Force while the Sith seek to bend the Force to their will while giving in to their emotions. The Jedi belive in internal Discipline and external Harmony, while the Sith believe in external Discipline and internal Harmony (or Passion, which may not be identical; either way, a lack of control).
85
86	[[AC:Literature]]
87	* In ''Literature/WatershipDown'', Cowslip's warren is a [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans Utopia]] of the extreme of harmony with no Chief Rabbit, no need to forage, and no struggle to survive-- and an [[TownWithADarkSecret unavoidable dark secret]]. Efrafa is a Utopia of discipline where rabbits follow TheSpartanWay. Neither are regarded as pleasant places. Interestingly, though, the Efrafan way gets [[WorthyOpponent an ambiguous kind of respect]].
88	* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', the two halves of the One Power, saidar and saidin, are wielded through harmony and discipline, respectively. Saidar is described as a powerful but gentle river which one must surrender to in order to master it, whereas saidin is described as an all-consuming, violent maelstrom of fire which must be dominated and controlled. Either one can produce amazing results, but the greatest magical feats of all require both forces acting together.
89
90	[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
91	* On ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' Simon is an example of Discipline. Though it is possible to kill him, ''nothing and nobody'' can break him- River only melts him. Kaylee is an example of Harmony, with her love of everybody and her love of Serenity (an odd example of "harmony" being represented by a machine and its mechanic). River too, represents Harmony the way she loves to dance, and mistakes a gun for a leafy twig. Mal, of course, is the epitome of Discipline, as his resolve is made of iron.
92
93	[[AC:Music]]
94	* Music/AntonioVivaldi's opus 8 alludes to the duality in its title: ''Il Cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione'' (the contest of Harmony and Invention). A collection of 12 violin concertos, of which the most famous are "The Four Seasons," the title refers to the pleasure Vivaldi experienced in alternating the ''ritornello'' (theme recurring like a refrain) with flights of fancy. Inverted, in that the "harmony" of the title (the concerted ''ritonello'') is Discipline, while the "invention" (the fanciful, programmatic passages) is Harmony, in the sense of this trope.
95
96	[[AC: Tabletop Games]]
97	* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'''s color wheel, this is the core conflict between Green and Blue. Green is Harmony: it believes in staying in tune with nature and allowing progress to occur at its natural, gradual pace. Blue is Discipline: it believes in the pursuit of knowledge and technology, and in working actively to improve oneself.
98	** The conflict is manifested in the gameplay: Blue looks for tactical advantages with card drawing and various forms of disruption. Green discards the complex strategies and simply ''fights'', summoning the biggest monsters and using them to smash things, the way nature intended. FleshVersusSteel shows up too, with Blue having the most cards that interact with artifacts while Green excels at destroying them.
99	** There are also tinges of this in the two colors' relationships with the other three. Green abhors Black's [[PoweredByAForsakenChild exploitation]] and [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]], while Blue respects its [[TheUnfettered pragmatism]] and [[ToBeAMaster drive for self-improvement]]; Green admires Red's [[HotBlooded sheer passion]] where Blue dismisses it as ChaoticStupid. White is the middle ground between Green and Blue, believing that discipline is an integral part of harmony.
100	** The best summation of a Blue-Green accord isn't the Simic Guild (which is mostly Blue people acting on Green things), it is the card Vedalken Heretic:
101	---> ''Etherium clouded my eyes, clogged my ears, desensitized my skin. Now that I can feel, I can begin to learn.''
102
103	[[AC: Theater]]
104	* In ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' Maria is Harmony ''married'' to Captain von Trapp's Discipline. She is a merry ManicPixieDreamGirl who loves singing and dancing, while Captain von Trapp is a [[TheStoic Stoic]] OfficerAndAGentleman whose DeathGlare is a weapon of mass destruction.
105
106	[[AC: Video Games]]
107	* In ''[[VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth Civilization: Beyond Earth]]'', Harmony affinity is very much ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - using extensive gene-splicing and biotechnology to integrate humanity into the alien ecosystem, with the intention to never allow the tragedy of [[GaiasLament the Great Mistake]] to ever happen again. Supremacy is strongly Discipline, as they modify their environment and even their own bodies with cybernetics and robotics to suit all their needs. Purity at first seems strongly Discipline as well as their entire philosophy can be summed as "no, universe, ''you'' change for ''us''", with technology focusing on surviving and eventually terraforming the hostile alien ecosystem. However, their refusal to modify their bodies and their cultural reverence for Old Earth have distinct harmonious flavour.
108	* In ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'', the sides are represented by two acrimonious siblings. Tangent (Discipline) is a scientist whose belief in human supremacy [[MultipleEndings may]] lead her to [[spoiler:exterminate the xenofauna of Vertumna.]] Dys (Harmony), her brother, is an explorer who resents humanity and everything artificial, including [[TransTribulations the surgery that Tangent needs to feel comfortable in her body]]. The narrative takes the view that BothSidesHaveAPoint, and defines its GoldenEnding as "a way to save both [the] colony and the planet".
109	* As per the standard dichotomy of [[OrderVersusChaos Law and Chaos]], ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' usually features this as a core undercurrent. Harmony is generally associated with the Chaos Faction (which favors emotions), and Law enforces Discipline (which operates via logic and strict control). That said, there are exceptions: Chaos may utilize Discipline to gain and enforce power while Law may use Harmony to foster its ethic of conformity. Yet as with everything else Lawful and Chaotic, Harmony AND Discipline become limiting when used exclusively. The path of Neutrality on the other hand seeks to balance the two.
110	* In the ''{{VideoGame/Ultima}}'' series, two of the six Ophidian Virtues are known as Ethicality (adhere to the rules of conduct) and Tolerance (accept that the world is what it is and that you're part of it). They are considered opposing Virtues by the forces of Law and Chaos, but in actuality it is necessary to balance both against each other, resulting in the Virtue of Harmony (be at peace with yourself and the world).
111
112	[[AC:Western Animation]]
113	* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Raven was Discipline (her powers required focus and would quickly get out of control if she was emotional) and Starfire was Harmony (her powers required her to feel). This was explored in an episode where they changed bodies.
114
115	[[AC:Real Life]]
116	* Two major philosophies have governed China for most of its history. Creator/{{Confucius}} was obsessed with discipline, duty, and academic knowledge. While UsefulNotes/{{Taoism}} is all about seeking harmony with nature and going with the flow, with some suggestions of anarchism.
117	* Creator/FriedrichNietzsche espoused two different "muses" or sources of inspiration for art, attributing them to the Greek gods Apollo (representing visual art and inspiring through dreams) and Dionysus (representing music and inspiring through intoxication). According to Nietzsche, the Apollonian (Discipline) was subordinate to the Dionysian (Harmony) insofar as Dionysian inspiration - hearing the mother's heartbeat ''in utero'' - was more primal and developed in the consciousness earlier than Apollonian, once the eyes were opened. However, the Apollonian also served to distinguish a more "enlightened" Dionysian art from aimless hedonism for its own sake.
118	[[/folder]]

Context Main / HarmonyVersusDiscipline