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When I was in third grade, I wrote some nasty and disrespectful words aimed at my teacher. I knew she’d read them, in fact, I hoped she would. I was just then starting to question the authority around me, and hadn’t yet figured out that most of what we do in life is play games with each other. I hadn’t made the connection that in order to get teachers, and authority, off my back, one had to play the game just well enough to not get noticed. Because I hadn’t made this connection yet, I became frustrated with school, and bored/Toadman, Synaptic Disunion. More here.
Question: Do you have a problem with authority?
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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Incognito on March 26 at 2:51 p.m.
Yes, but it is more about people who want to control me than about authority. I want control of my own wheel.
BethB on March 26 at 3:30 p.m.
“Jesus take the wheel…” (Carrie Underwood).
I like authority. I just want authority to be smart and responsible. I remember once in Junior High inserting a paragraph to a synopsis report (of a movie we watched) about how spaceships had landed and taken over our school. I was trying to prove that our teacher wasn’t actually reading the reports that he was making us write. Later, after I got an “A” on the report, I asked him if he had enjoyed reading it. He looked confused then said, sure, it was great. Ha. Joke’s on him. Or me. Or someone. The school system, perhaps?
toadman on March 26 at 4:00 p.m.
It’s interesting that you picked up on the authority bit of my post, as that’s not really what the post is about. Well, at least, it’s not the intended meaning. I do, in fact, understand the need for authority, and the need to respect authority to a certain degree, where it’s justifiable. Boundaries are necessary.
The post, really, is about my personal need to be left alone to do as I please from time to time. To be able to hide when I need to, and be available when I want to be. It’s about my need to avoid confrontation and thereby, anxiety. It’s really a treatise on my personality quirks, more than anything else, and how I see a lot, maybe too much, of that same personality coming out in our oldest son as he begins to mirror some of the same things I did at that same age…only now, I’m on the receiving end.
My parents must have been at their wits end with my ability to excel, but unwillingness to do so. But, I’ll not push, as they didn’t. I think I turned out ok, despite the occasional problem with anxiety and depression.
Escapee on March 26 at 4:07 p.m.
Yes. “I fight authority, authority always wins”, said John Mellencamp a long time ago. ‘Tis true.
Frum Helen Back on March 26 at 4:26 p.m.
The only problem I have with authority is when it comes from my husband. But he’s the same way about me so we’ve learned not to boss each other around cause the other one will resist like a stubborn mule.
Liz on March 26 at 5:11 p.m.
I used to but I’m getting over it.
In my younger days all you had to say to me is “don’t” and I was off and running….
Escapee on March 26 at 9:47 p.m.
I never used to listen to people telling me “don’t”. I never used to listen to people telling me, “you shouldn’t be doing that”. Now that I’m an ancient fossil, I tell myself “I can’t do that anymore”. And generally, I listen to that.