The word panopticon derives from the Greek word for “all seeing” – panoptes I came across this this term in an op-ed I was reading, and it intrigued me. When I did some research, I found this term very fascinating ( Panopticon – Wikipedia ). As I read about it more and more, I started to think is it possible that this insidious concept can have a positive connotation.
Panopticon: The panopticon is a type of institutional building and a system of control designed by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. The concept of the design is to allow all prisoners of an institution to be observed by a single security guard, without the inmates being able to tell whether they are being watched.
Although it is physically impossible for the single guard to observe all the inmates’ cells at once, the fact that the inmates cannot know when they are being watched means that they are motivated to act as though they are being watched at all times. Thus, the inmates are effectively compelled to regulate their own behavior. The architecture consists of a rotunda with an inspection house at its center. From the center, the manager or staff of the institution are able to watch the inmates. Bentham conceived the basic plan as being equally applicable to hospitals, schools, sanatoriums, and asylums, but he devoted most of his efforts to developing a design for a panopticon prison. It is his prison that is now most widely meant by the term “panopticon”.
I want to share two examples of panopticon that served me positively. In the beginning of the year, I gave in and had CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) device put on me. It is expensive since insurance covers it only if I am on insulin. I decided to get it anyway and has found that it certainly has become a rotunda with an inspection house. Ever since I started using it, I have become much more aware of what I am eating and how my body is processing the food I have eaten, exertion due to exercise and medication. I truly believe it is as much useful for diabetics on medication as it is for those who take insulin. Also, given the number of measurements generated, it helps to see the statistical variation, on a daily basis and just a 90-day measurement of HbA1c.
The second experience I want to share is about the time I went on my first and at this time only photography workshop in March 2022. The inspection house was the excellent team members and our workshop leader. The epiphany I had was that my approach to taking a photograph during that workshop was considerably different than my usual practice. It is not that my team members were watching me or the workshop leader was monitoring my shooting. It is just that I wanted to do better than my usual self just in case I had to share the photos taken. That is certainly a marked departure from my usual stance.
The image below was taken during my trip to Death Valley National Park in November 2019. It was post processed in Lightroom. I was on a trip with my wife and there was no concern about any guards watching me.
Compare the above image with one taken when I was a panopticon prisoner as you see below. Granted it was taken at different time and from a different location.
In summary, what I want to say is that there are benefits to even the “insidious” ideas if you apply an appropriate perspective.
Epilog: Recently I came across this dialog by protagonist in a movie – “Art is not what you see but what you make others see”. Now I wonder if it is universally true. Am I taking these images as I see them or make you see them. Point to ponder in a future article.
