Where harm is reframed as help—and control is justified as protection.
The Punishment Model teaches us that hurt is deserved when someone breaks a rule.
That emotional pain “builds character.”
That shame is a motivator.
That consequences are only valid if they sting.
From early on, many of us are taught that punishment is not just allowed—but necessary.
That the people who hurt us are doing it “for our own good.”
That authority has the right to inflict pain in the name of discipline, correction, or justice.
This model distorts the emotional logic of responsibility.
It creates a world where retaliation looks like accountability, and where causing harm becomes an acceptable way to prove a point.
It doesn’t just shape how we treat others.
It shapes how we treat ourselves.