Discipline, as many say, is the secret of success in life. It is also defined as the control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad behavior. The concept of discipline plays an important role at every point of our lives. Discipline is a necessity that is used at every institution such as schools, offices, home, or in a playground.  Rules guide us in the right path and it is our duty to obey them and maintain the order that exists in the society. Without discipline, everything will be at chaos and disorder. Thus, indiscipline results in punishments. By examining Foucault's excerpt, 'Panopticism', we understand the significance and the impact of discipline in our lives today.

The concept of discipline is brought about in Foucault description of the plague city and the panoptic structure. During the seventeenth century, there were strict measures taken when the plague would hit the city. The processes of quarantine begin to operate where "everyone is ordered to stay indoor" and were inspected on daily basis (Foucault 240). Moreover, the fact that each individual is fixed in his place denotes that higher authorities have power to control over their community. Even though there are minute differences, plague city precedes how the modernized city is. As seen in plague city, the quarantine process is very organized in terms of control and authority. The highest authority is with the mayor who is the head of the city, then the intendants who are responsible for the quarters, and then the syndics, having the lowest authority, are responsible of each street. This top-down organization ensures discipline and safety amongst the people in the society. However, plague city classifies people as segmented, frozen and immobile. Furthermore, the control of the authorities is very rigorous whereby death is the punishment if someone disobeys the rules of being immobile. Through this, one can define punishment as a concept of what the rules are designed to prevent. Nonetheless, the concept of quarantine is used only under crisis so these stringent rules are temporary. 

On the other hand, discipline portrayed by Bentham's Panopticon completely varies. Unlike the plague city, the Panopticon is used everyday and not just in times of crisis. The structure of the Panopticon embodies the concepts of power and control. The Panopticon is described as "a marvelous machine, which, whatever use one may wish to put it to, produces homogenous effects of power" (Foucault 246). The periphery architecture is built in such as way that the tower is present in the center and allows the guard in the center to watch separated individuals in cells but the inmates will not know who or when the guard is watching them. From this architecture, we as readers understand Bentham's principle that "power should be visible but unverifiable" (Foucault 245). Through this principle, the inmates develop self-surveillance whereby the fear of being caught from breaking the rules encourages them to adhere to the expectations. Hence, this Panopticon instills discipline in the inmates who continue to follow law and order. 

Discipline has been a huge part of my life. It has the ability to shape my personality for the better. Throughout my life, I was punished for my wrong actions and praised for the right ones. This way I am able to make the right decisions that are morally right and are accepted by the society. In the 21st century, the idea of Panopticism is modified with development of technology. The CCTV cameras used in college today follow the concept of Panopticism by keeping everyone in observation at all times. Like me, everyone knows they are being watched so they are careful about they do. In addition to this, the GPS systems reveal information about a person's whereabouts and this again puts emphasis on how someone's always out on a watch. However, this type of watch differs from Panopticism. In the concept of Panopticism, people were watched from the central tower of the panoptic structure but today, we carry trackers with us and this prevents the government from having a central tower to watch over us.

Apart from technological ways of instilling discipline and order in people, there are also internalized forms of how discipline is infused. According to Foucault, Bentham's proposition of the Panopticon emphasizes on disciplinary mechanisms that work as a framework to gain power. Since this concept of Panopticism works to analyze and observe individuals, it is used in many institutions to promote discipline and civility. During my high school life, the school followed a top-down organizational structure where the individual with highest authority is with the principal who takes control and assist disciplinary incentives. Students are disciplined to respect others around them, behave appropriately, speak only when asked, come to class on time, and avoid cheating in exams. When these rules were broken, the school implemented disciplinary mechanisms such as detention and suspension, which allows educating students in an organized and systematic way.  Moreover, the rules and regulations proposed by the government are to be obeyed by the society. For example, when held up in traffic, I see many cars lined up in order, waiting for their chance to take a turn. This is a positive discipline mechanism that assures safety amongst travellers. Therefore, those who disobey these rules will face negative consequences. 

Discipline molds one into a better person by building character and by developing morality in individuals. Throughout this essay, we see Foucault's influence on how we perceive discipline today. Panoptic structure and the plague city have brought about the importance of discipline and how this concept can change an individual's life. Discipline usually associates with other concepts such as power and control and these together, are the driving force for civility in the society.
