For all sorts of reasons the concept of punishment has been on my mind this weekend. If we value punishment as a means of correction, then we're heading for trouble.
The trouble we're heading for comes from at least two directions. One of these is that punishment simply doesn't work, in fact punishment tends to perpetuate the very thing being punished with neither the punisher nor the punished changing - often their positions become even more entrenched
If the punishment doesn't work the punisher often draws the (frankly illogical) conclusion that they weren't punishing enough - this is a bit like banging our heads against a wall and, if that doesn't work, banging our heads even harder against the wall.
But it also sets up another pattern which increases the punisher's level of fear, fear of making a mistake and so being punished for it - rightly, since we believe in punishment. On top of which, we all know that if we are frightened (maybe we recognise anxious more easily) then we are more likely to make mistakes.
And be hoisted by our own petard. We will likely do some of the hoisting ourselves - by which I mean we will punish ourselves.
This is not to say we don't need to accept rules and principles to live by in the world but when these are not honoured there is learning and correction required, not punishment. This may not change what we actually do but it will change our attitude towards what we do and to whom we do it.
If we want to help people be "better" members of society, employees or even family members, then that has to be our objective. If that is our objective we will go at least some way to achieving that. Equally, if our intention is to punish we will simply create more judgement, division and fear.
We make mistakes because we don't know any better, and so does everyone else - if we don't know any better then we need to learn, we're unlikely to learn much, and neither are they, if we are focused on making ourselves, or someone else, suffer.
With my best
Ian
