Anticipation

“	Quod antecedit tempus, maxima venturi supplicii pars est. (The time that precedes punishment is the severest part of it.)	”
	— Seneca, De Beneficiis (II, 5)

Anticipation is the awareness, expectation, and possibly preparation for something that lies ahead, typically in the near future.

Anticipation of punishment

Drawing by Wilhelm Busch from Plisch und Plum (1882).

"There's that moment just before a spanking..." Bonus page 1 from the series Hans by Rude Rumps.

Anticipation of a coming-up punishment can put the delinquent in terror for an extended time, thus adding to his or her suffering before the actual punishment even starts. For example, a person sentenced to capital punishment may be made to wait for many years locked up in a death cell before their execution — a situation in which they have their inescapable fate before their eyes day after day with little or no hope of rescue. The waiting for a punishment is thus a punishment by itself, making something that's bad enough even worse.

In corporal punishment, the delinquent may be made to wait for their whipping or spanking in various ways, such as:

• announcing a specific time a few hours ahead at which they are to report at a specific place
• locking them up in a room for a period of time
• letting them stand, sit or kneel in corner time or some other time-out place (e.g. their room)
• (in BDSM): putting them in bondage or locking them up in a cage

Further methods to add to the suffering via anticipation:

• letting them prepare themselves and/or the spanking implement (e.g. a birch)
• letting them write lines or an essay on their coming-up and well-deserved punishment
• certain rituals designed to put them in anxiety (e.g. extended scolding/lecturing, putting the spanking implement before their eyes, or making noises with the spanking implement so they will be reminded of what's coming to them)

In consensual spanking, these and related methods are popular too because both the spanker and the spankee can enjoy the feeling of anticipation. For some spankophiles, a luxurious anticipation is the best part of a spanking. Spankophiles can also enjoy the anticipation that comes with the making of a new spanking implement, the making of an item of spanking furniture, the preparation of the spankee (undressing, positioning), and so on.

Anticipation in animation

Anticipation is also an important technique in animation. Typically, whenever an energetic motion starts (for example, a slap, throw, kick, fall, jump), the principle of anticipation says that it should be preceded by a smaller motion that goes in the opposite direction. Then the motion comes, and when it comes to a halt, it also often passes a little beyond the target, then reverts to the target.

Anticipation adds a lot of realism to animation and is often exaggerated for a comic effect. It can be combined well with the techniques of squash and stretch.

Schema: Motion without anticipation (dull):

                   ______________ -> time
                  /
                 /
 _______________/

Schema: Motion with anticipation (better):

                   /\____________ -> time
                  /
                 /
 _____________  /
              \/

              ^-this is the anticipation

See also

• Counting before each spank
• Tapping before each spank