{"id":91760,"date":"2023-02-04T14:33:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-04T18:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=91760"},"modified":"2023-02-09T14:16:13","modified_gmt":"2023-02-09T18:16:13","slug":"what-is-discipline-in-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is discipline in life? Why does it matter? Why do we often find it a struggle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost everyone has experienced situations where, despite knowing what they should do, they\u2019re compelled by an inner voice<\/a> to do something easier or more enjoyable. Daniel Walter explains that, if you allow these temptations to dictate your actions, you\u2019ll never reach your full potential<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to learn what discipline is and the reasons why we struggle with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Discipline in Life?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is discipline in life? Walter defines it as the ability to make healthy and productive choices, fight against temptations and instant gratification<\/a>, and ultimately act in your best interests. He notes that having self-discipline is crucial because it pushes you toward actions that breed success\u2014fully committing to your goals<\/a>, developing good habits<\/a>, and consistently putting in hard work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Discipline Equals Freedom<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Jocko Willink agrees that self-discipline is crucial for committing to goals, developing good habits, working hard, and ultimately becoming successful. However, Willink\u2019s definition of self-discipline is less detailed than Walter\u2019s: He simply defines self-discipline as an internal force that drives you to take action and be better<\/a>. This arguably misses an important nuance from Walter\u2019s definition: that self-discipline also<\/em> encapsulates the ability to fight temptations and instant gratification [in other words, the actions that weaken our ability to self-discipline].)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the importance of self-discipline<\/a>, many people lack this ability because humans have a natural tendency to opt for instant gratification over hard work and long-term rewards<\/a><\/strong>\u2014even if hard work is in their best interest. According to Walter, this is problematic because self-discipline doesn\u2019t come naturally to people: It\u2019s a skill that\u2019s developed over time through practice and hard work. So, if you neglect to practice the skill regularly and instead chase instant gratification, you\u2019ll struggle to engage in self-discipline, fail to achieve your goals<\/a>, and feel unsatisfied in life<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: While experts agree that we naturally lean toward instant gratification, some argue that the solution isn\u2019t<\/em> practicing self-discipline as Walter recommends. Instead, they suggest learning how to minimize temptations<\/a>. If we\u2019re able to do this\u2014by either changing ourselves or our environment\u2014we won\u2019t need<\/em> to use self-discipline. This alternative approach is arguably important to consider because, based on recent research, it might not be possible to teach people lasting self-discipline skills.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is Discipline Difficult?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Walter explains that humans struggle with self-discipline, and consequently fail to reach their goals, due to four main biological tendencies. We\u2019ll explore each of these tendencies and how to overcome them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason #1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, Walter explains that we resist change<\/a> and crave consistency\u2014in our lifestyles, jobs, environments, and so on. This tendency impedes self-discipline because it stops us from taking uncomfortable steps that disrupt consistency but trigger improvement and success.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s an exercise to help you overcome this tendency. When you have an important decision to make, write down your options (for example, make the move or stay in your current location), and list the pros and cons for each. The following day, return to your notes and determine which option will be most advantageous for improving yourself<\/a> and reaching your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason #2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second tendency that can impact self-discipline is the Dunning-Kruger<\/a> effect, notes Walter. This effect means that people who have low ability in a skill are more likely to overestimate their ability in that skill. <\/strong>According to this phenomenon, people who are bad at self-discipline are likely to overestimate their ability, and, therefore, neglect practicing it. This is problematic because, as noted, self-discipline is a skill you must regularly practice<\/em> to be good at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid this tendency, Walter recommends seeking feedback<\/a> from others\u2014especially those that are proficient at the ability you want to work on. This way, you can receive constructive criticism that will help you improve your abilities and avoid the Dunning-Kruger effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason #3<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Walter explains that procrastination weakens our ability to self-discipline because, the more we procrastinate, the more habitual it becomes, and the less likely we are to practice self-discipline.<\/strong> As previously explained, self-discipline is a skill that takes practice<\/em> to develop. So, when you choose to practice the opposite <\/em>of self-discipline (procrastination, a type of temptation and instant gratification), you actively weaken<\/em> your ability to make productive choices (to self-discipline).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To resist the tendency to procrastinate<\/a>, Walter makes two suggestions. First, get started on a task as soon as possible after deciding to do it\u2014this will ensure that you complete your work on time or even ahead of schedule, allowing for higher-quality results. Second, stop planning<\/em> and start doing<\/em> a task when you\u2019re 70% sure you\u2019ll succeed\u2014perfection doesn\u2019t exist, so if you plan until your idea\u2019s perfect, you\u2019ll never get anything done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason #4<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Walter explains that we set unrealistic expectations<\/a> by underestimating the amount of time and effort it takes to reach our goals.<\/strong> When we neglect to put the necessary time and effort into our endeavors, we\u2019ll likely fail to reach our goals. This failure discourages us from continuing to work toward our goals in the future, crippling our ability to self-discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To overcome this tendency, Walter recommends taking the time to analyze your goals and the actions you\u2019re taking to reach them. Ensure that you\u2019re not engaging in self-sabotaging behaviors<\/a> that set you up for failure, like setting unrealistic expectations. Ask yourself what a rational time frame to complete your goal is, what work you must do to achieve it, and how often or when you need to do that work to reach your goal within the given time frame. This realistic analysis will reduce your chance of failing and giving up, thus preserving your self-discipline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is discipline in life? Why does it matter? Why do we often find it a struggle? Almost everyone has experienced situations where, despite knowing what they should do, they\u2019re compelled by an inner voice to do something easier or more enjoyable. Daniel Walter explains that, if you allow these temptations to dictate your actions, you\u2019ll never reach your full potential. Continue reading to learn what discipline is and the reasons why we struggle with it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":91763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,43],"tags":[894],"class_list":["post-91760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motivation","category-self-improvement","tag-the-power-of-discipline","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult? - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is discipline in life? Why is it hard to practice? Learn about the quality that, while difficult, ultimately acts in our best interest.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is discipline in life? Why is it hard to practice? Learn about the quality that, while difficult, ultimately acts in our best interest.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-04T18:33:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-09T18:16:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"headline\":\"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult?\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-04T18:33:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-09T18:16:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/\"},\"wordCount\":979,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The Power of Discipline\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Motivation\",\"Self-Improvement\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/\",\"name\":\"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult? - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-04T18:33:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-09T18:16:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"What is discipline in life? Why is it hard to practice? Learn about the quality that, while difficult, ultimately acts in our best interest.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult? - Shortform Books","description":"What is discipline in life? Why is it hard to practice? Learn about the quality that, while difficult, ultimately acts in our best interest.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult?","og_description":"What is discipline in life? Why is it hard to practice? Learn about the quality that, while difficult, ultimately acts in our best interest.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-02-04T18:33:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-02-09T18:16:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/"},"author":{"name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"headline":"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult?","datePublished":"2023-02-04T18:33:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-09T18:16:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/"},"wordCount":979,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg","keywords":["The Power of Discipline"],"articleSection":["Motivation","Self-Improvement"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/","name":"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult? - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg","datePublished":"2023-02-04T18:33:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-09T18:16:13+00:00","description":"What is discipline in life? Why is it hard to practice? Learn about the quality that, while difficult, ultimately acts in our best interest.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-discipline-in-life\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Is Discipline in Life\u2014and Why Is It So Difficult?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/lazy-dog-lying-on-a-bench.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91760"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91942,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91760\/revisions\/91942"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}