Discipline Versus Punishment in the D/s World

What is the Difference Between These Two Terms?

These two terms have been used interchangeably for way too long in my opinion. There is a big difference between them and how they are supposed to be used in training of a new or experienced submissive. I am going to give you textbook definitions as well as examples to make it really clear. Also understand that for those that are truly living a lifestyle of 24/7 D/s or M/s, this is a very important issue that is not play. I know that people who like bondage and discipline more will disagree with me, but this is specifically for the group of people who aim to make dominance and submission the basis of their relationship.

Discipline are those actions taken by a Dominant to teach and prevent a submissive from doing something that is in no way an act of willful disobedience. It could be that a submissive chops up some potatoes into square cubes after receiving the command to prepare the potatoes for a curry. The potatoes should have been prepared differently as this is not what the dominant had in mind. First off the dominant could have been more clear in his instructions, but since a dominant is never wrong, the dominant is now responsible for teaching the submissive to do this correctly in the future to his or her exact specifications. This process could involve a training session showing the submissive what to do and explaining why the outcome of the task displeased the dominant. It could also involve having the submissive do all of it again to ensure that the lesson has been effective.

In some cases there are protocols for handling situations like this. A submissive may kneel in front of the dominant and say the following:" Master/ Mistress/ Sir/ Madam, your submissive/ slave has to confess to being disobedient. Your submissive did not do so willfully and would appreciate it if it would please you to correct her and train her to do this task without displeasing you in the future. Thank you for taking the time to train and correct your slave." A slave or submissive may also inadvertently have done something wrong in the process of obeying the dominant and corrections could be talking about it or having the submissive write out the correct way of handling an assignment like that as many times as the dominant would prefer.

Discipline does not normally include physical punishment.

Punishment is when a submissive or slave has been willfully disobedient and has knowingly disobeyed a command or done something incorrectly due to reactance or any other reason. In cases like these, punishment will be administered to see to it that the submissive or slave is aware that disobedience has consequences and it generally is not a process that any of the parties involved, enjoys.

The slave or submissive has willfully broken a plate out of anger. The slave or submissive will now kneel in front of the dominant and might say:" Your slave or submissive has been willfully disobedient by breaking the plate out of anger. Your slave or submissive accepts full responsibility and asks if it would please you to punish your slave or submissive in any way that pleases you. Your slave or submissive begs your forgiveness as well." The dom will then administer punishment which could include physical punishment, confinement to a room or a corner, the removal of privileges etc. The golden rule is to make sure that the punishment fits the crime. It makes no sense to punish someone by withholding Internet privileges if they broke a plate out of anger. The idea is to provide absolution for the submissive or slave and to prevent it from happening again.

The last and most important guideline is that when a punishment or discipline session is over and all is forgiven, it must be forgotten too. It is a toxic thing for a relationship if all the negative things are constantly brought back to life after it has been handled.

Excellent books for Dom's,,,