Could Folding Your Socks Be A Panacea For Disaffected Youth?

[Khandro]

Major Nanson thinks it might, he says try this Royal Military Academy Sandhurst morning routine for size. Wake up around 5am, make your bed in crisp hospital corners, iron and fold all clothing to the dimensions of an A4 piece of paper and double over your socks to form a “smile”. Toiletries must all rest, equidistant, on a solitary washing flannel.

Then muster at 5.55am outside your door in crisply polished shoes to sing the national anthem, before an exacting room inspection. Anything out of place, and you do it all over again. This, explains Major General Paul Nanson, is the Sandhurst way – helping to impose self-discipline and a sense of pride, and the first vital steps in learning how to lead.

“Only once you have your own house in order,” he writes in his new book, Stand Up Straight, “can you help the men and women under your leadership do the same.”

[Stephen_G]

Try getting them off their Playstations and Xbox's at 5:00 a.m., never mind getting them out of bed! Major Lunatic, more like.

[Theland]

Jordan Peterson says similar in his book Twelve Steps . . . . . and step one is tidying your room.

[New Judge]

Just a point of order. Mr Nanson is not a Major; he is a Major-General - four ranks higher than a Major and an officer of Field Rank.

People who won't get up at 5am don't join the Army.

[aelmpvw]

//toiletries must all rest, equidistant, on a solitary washing flannel//
does that involve the use of a tape measure?

[diddlydo]

Anyone who signs up for that sort of discipline must be bonkers.

[Tilly2]

I have just spent ten minutes looking at Youtube videos of different sock folding methods. Fascinating...so many ways. :-)

[douglas9401]

It's one of the ways to condition rational human beings to fight and kill as a career.
Entry level control.

[New Judge]

//Anyone who signs up for that sort of discipline must be bonkers.//

And also be prepared to defend you whilst you lie in bed at 5am.

[dannyk13]

diddly //Anyone who signs up for that sort of discipline must be bonkers.//
I can think of one or two people who would benefit from it.It did more good than harm to any of us who served in the armed forces.

[Theland]

Maybe prisons could borrow these ideas?

[Old_Geezer]

Self discipline and creation of good routines is helpful to making the most out of life. I doubt one particular aspect, such as weird sock manipulation, is a vital part. But getting something organised, sorted, done, start the day as you mean to go on, get into a right frame of mind naturally, is a good thing.

Sometimes I wish I'd trained myself thus, but am more laid back, and likely to put things off. Oh well...

[douglas9401]

Discussions on these behaviours usually end with 'never did me any harm' from those obviously damaged by the experience. :-)

[Theland]

"Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow."

[dannyk13]

Douglas // from those obviously damaged by the experience. ://
What a load of rubbish, you obviously don't know what you are talking about.

[TonyV]

Douglas why such a downer on our Armed services?

[theshedman]

I don't think a bit of military discipline would do anyone any harm. It taught me a lot and folding clothes was a part of it as there is little room on a ship so things need to be put away properly. A place for everything and everything in its place. Coming back to living quarters after a hard day's training to find all your kit thrown outside in the rain soon got people doing tings right.

[Theland]

Does anybody remember Willie Whitelaws plan for a short sharp shock?
What happened?
I know it failed but what was tried?

[davebro]

How do you do "hospital corners" with a duvet?

[vulcan42]

I went through something similar in the RAF, perhaps douglas could explain how I've been damaged if it's so obvious .

[dannyk13]

Dave//How do you do "hospital corners" with a duvet?//
You don't, hospital corners are used on the top sheet.