Respect of Authority is inalienable from all Walks of Life

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gad-fly
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Joined: October 23rd, 2019, 4:48 pm

Respect of Authority is inalienable from all Walks of Life

Post by gad-fly »

Sadly, a bigot would take Respect of Authority and Challenge to Authority as antagonistic contradiction. A megalomaniac would casually dismiss any respect except his own self-respect. A coward/servile would not have the courage of conviction to mount challenge. A bootlicker/sycophant would find it not worth the time and effort. An idiot would be unable to tell the difference between the two. Most of us, though, come somewhere in between. It takes all sorts.

It would be a moot point which is more important: Respect or Challenge? Suffice to say that our human civilization would not come into existence, let alone thrive, without Respect of Authority. As well, this statement of factual description applies no less to the animal kingdom, including elephant herds and prides of lion, and even the lone-hunting tiger. Some may argue that authority in the jungle is established by the brute of force, but it is more complex than that, as in the establishment of territorial boundary for survival.

Respect can be taken as the foundation of an organization, from which the social superstructure sprouts to the collective benefit of all members. It is the grease to maintain the cohesive operation of the running engine. Respect in a hierarchy is bottom-up in a stable society. Fortunately, democracy will keep human society from turning stale.

But Challenge plays a much bigger role in this respect. Challenge is the nutrient and water serving to keep the plant alive and thrive. I dare say we would be still in the Stone Age but for those daring to go outside the box.

Challenge and Respect are mutually inalienable ingredients that raise us to a higher platform, despite ourselves.
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LuckyR
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Re: Respect of Authority is inalienable from all Walks of Life

Post by LuckyR »

This is a bit of a false dichotomy in the sense that you are correct that on average, both are important, albeit in different ways. As individuals we can get away with one, both or neither, but in groups, both are required for optimal function.
"As usual... it depends."
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