Lao-Tzo

Machiavelli in that it is safer to be feared than it is to be love, based on situations this student has witnessed in the military, sports, as well as in the classroom.

When dealing with military discipline, it is better to be feared than it is to be loved. Soldiers fear drill sergeants. They are not your friends. A drill sergeant's job is to take civilians and build them up into soldiers through extensive discipline and training. It is a grueling process, but one that builds discipline and respect. A loving environment does not facilitate the training required. It is not a drill sergeant's job to be one's friend. Their job is to train one to deal with the shock and rigors to do one's job. It is through the environment of fear that a soldier learns to overcome fear.

Also in sports it is better to be feared than loved. If one were to be good friends with members of another sports team, one may not be as focused or play as competitively had one been playing a team you feared. Also, as a sports team you want other teams to fear you and have that fear of losing. A mindset of superiority is a mindset of winning. If one instills a mindset of inferiority, that winning mentality is killed.

As a future teacher, this student believes that in the classroom it is better to be feared than it is to be loved because if students are fearful of teachers' authority, they are