There are two types of pain you will go through in life, the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.

Rohn contrasts two inevitable forms of suffering: the voluntary discomfort of self-control and the involuntary anguish of wishing you had acted differently. “Discipline” here means small, repeated choices—saving money, practicing a skill, keeping promises to oneself—that feel burdensome in the moment but are limited and manageable (“ounces”). “Regret” is portrayed as cumulative and heavy (“tons”), arriving later when opportunities have passed and consequences have compounded. The aphorism functions as a motivational calculus: since some pain is unavoidable, choose the kind that is purposeful and within your agency. Its significance lies in reframing effort as the lighter cost of long-term freedom.

1) “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
2) “Discipline weighs ounces; regret weighs tons.”
3) “The pain of discipline is temporary; the pain of regret lasts forever.”