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Discipline vs Punishment
Discipline - To teach or train, to make a convert of, more directly to make a disciple of. Action in the interest of order, rule, or control. A disciple is a person who receives instruction from or accepts the doctrines of, becomes a follower of said doctrines, and assists their teacher, mentor, or dominant in spreading their instruction to others.
Punishment - To impose a penalty upon, such as pain, suffering, strict restraint, or loss for some fault, offense, or violation. To hurt. When the wrongdoing is considered to be conscious or purposive through the voluntary and knowing or in knowledge action of the violator. Punishment may include discipline or actions of correction in the interest of the violator. Discipline may include punishment if such action is part of reforming, amending, or guiding the violator away from future errors and lapses. (Within the context of D/s imposition of corporal types of 'punishment' may actually be 'actions or reactions' by the Dominant to or toward the submissive, in actuality manipulated or pushed by the submissive. Such types of corporal punishment should be 'highly' questioned by the Dominant and frequently not engaged in primarily for reasons of being non-effectual to the desired outcome.)
In lay terms, it may be the sole choice of the dominant to select 'removal from presence' as the singular 'action' of punishment imposed upon a violating submissive. Action is always preceded by thought or choice, and if a submissive elects, chooses, or voluntarily selects to violate, disobey, or in any other way disregard the direction of the dominant, then the corrective measure or where the action needs to be addressed is within the choice or thought processes of the submissive. It is not proper or indeed possible to 'impose' direction upon a non-consenting adult. The submissive, by 'refusing to obey,' is expressing a choice of non-consent which must and should be recognized and respected as their true choice.
An imposition of a rule or direction violates the primary tenet of voluntary consent. Any attempt by one human being to impose rule upon another IS a violation of that individual's personal rights and freedoms. Successful imposition is illegal and abusive and will cause injury, damage, and immediate and total disrespect to or toward the person inflicting or imposing such a rule.
By selecting 'removal from presence', the dominant identifies to the submissive that the violation noted is actually a freewill choice emergent from the voluntary thought processes of the submissive, in essence removing the submissive from 'position' within the context of the relationship by that submissive's voluntary choice of action. This type of punishment retains possession or ownership of the 'action' by the submissive, reflecting to that submissive the decision by the dominant not to respond to overt manipulation by the submissive. A dominant should guard against reactive 'actions' and endeavor to make sure that their own actions are active choices on their part and not 'streaming from' the situational actions or circumstances in which they find themselves.
Discipline is frequently the assignment of actions or tasks designed to guide or further train the individual within the physical sphere.
Punishment may be considered to be the 'removal' of action in order to clarify and focus the attention and thoughts of the individual within the mental sphere.
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