0
I Do Not Respect Your Authority.
Posted by Tanya
on
11:41 PM
Since kindergarten, we are taught to respect our elders. Or so we think. What we are subconsciously taught is to obey the demands of those in the dominant position. Is this fair? Not in my opinion. My homeschool tendencies tell me this is the result of abused power on the part of the adults.
This power is abused not only in the school systems, but also in the workplace. This conditioned blindness starts when children are most impressionable. It starts as soon as children are enrolled in school. This is not to be mistaken for simple behavioral conditioning, I don't mean to suggest that guidance from parental figures is a bad thing, I am not talking about adults teaching manners. That is a whole different story.
To give an example using the school system, take the nasty case of discrimination that took place at a local middle school. Students who wore black were forced to open their lockers so security could search them for razor blades. They were then asked to pull up their sleeves to check for cut marks. They had no reason to check these students, they were simply singled out because they looked a bit different. This search was illegal not only because they did not have probable cause to conduct a search and seizure, but also because they profiled the students. While these actions were appalling to me, what was even more shocking was the fact that the students willingly complied with the unfair demands without a moment of question or hesitation.
It makes sense that this illegal activity did not raise a red flag in their minds, they have already been conditioned to comply with whatever the authority figures demand. This is not the first time I've encountered this nor will it be the last. I would provide you with other examples but I really shouldn't go there. I might get in trouble with my authority figures.
Sometimes I feel as though I have a devil and an angel on my shoulder, only, the angel has been replaced with a second devil. It's as though the angel died in a pool of cynical gray matter. But my devils are different, one is the badass homeschool chick who goes against the grain, and the other is the caged animal with the pasted on smile pretending to have the utmost respect for everyone and their actions. Not to sound overly dramatic, but dealing with incompetent authority figures hurts me in a way that I cannot describe. I think a piece of my soul dies every time I witness this unfortunate situation.
Trapped is what we are. Escape, though we may dream about it, is not an option. This experience is not an isolated incident. This state of mind is present in most work environments as well as most academic institutions. There are a few ways to cope with this agitating truth, I use my cynicism as a shield against the chaos and stupidity of the things I cannot change.
How can I be expected to respect people who have no respect for me? We all know who has the power, it is the person holding the paycheck or the red pen to the grade book. I may not be able to take charge of situations, but I can learn to deal with the incompetence of those who do.
This power is abused not only in the school systems, but also in the workplace. This conditioned blindness starts when children are most impressionable. It starts as soon as children are enrolled in school. This is not to be mistaken for simple behavioral conditioning, I don't mean to suggest that guidance from parental figures is a bad thing, I am not talking about adults teaching manners. That is a whole different story.
To give an example using the school system, take the nasty case of discrimination that took place at a local middle school. Students who wore black were forced to open their lockers so security could search them for razor blades. They were then asked to pull up their sleeves to check for cut marks. They had no reason to check these students, they were simply singled out because they looked a bit different. This search was illegal not only because they did not have probable cause to conduct a search and seizure, but also because they profiled the students. While these actions were appalling to me, what was even more shocking was the fact that the students willingly complied with the unfair demands without a moment of question or hesitation.
It makes sense that this illegal activity did not raise a red flag in their minds, they have already been conditioned to comply with whatever the authority figures demand. This is not the first time I've encountered this nor will it be the last. I would provide you with other examples but I really shouldn't go there. I might get in trouble with my authority figures.
Sometimes I feel as though I have a devil and an angel on my shoulder, only, the angel has been replaced with a second devil. It's as though the angel died in a pool of cynical gray matter. But my devils are different, one is the badass homeschool chick who goes against the grain, and the other is the caged animal with the pasted on smile pretending to have the utmost respect for everyone and their actions. Not to sound overly dramatic, but dealing with incompetent authority figures hurts me in a way that I cannot describe. I think a piece of my soul dies every time I witness this unfortunate situation.
Trapped is what we are. Escape, though we may dream about it, is not an option. This experience is not an isolated incident. This state of mind is present in most work environments as well as most academic institutions. There are a few ways to cope with this agitating truth, I use my cynicism as a shield against the chaos and stupidity of the things I cannot change.
How can I be expected to respect people who have no respect for me? We all know who has the power, it is the person holding the paycheck or the red pen to the grade book. I may not be able to take charge of situations, but I can learn to deal with the incompetence of those who do.
Post a Comment