I have what some would call an unhealthy respect for authority. I don’t believe EVERYTHING I see/hear, but by golly if someone who’s done a lot of validated research comes to me and tells me that the sky isn’t blue, I begin to wonder if blue means what I think it means.
This is the opposite of my husband. If he didn’t think of it, or if he can’t understand it, then he generally blows it off or disparages it.
This produced a lot of conflict in our early marriage. So I begin to wonder: what is a HEALTHY level of respect for authority? If you don’t respect any authority, then not only does it make certain social interactions (like work) difficult, but you are doomed to repeat many mistakes and not be able to learn beyond what you are able to test for yourself. But if you believe everything you are told, well, you’ll end up buying a lot of Brooklyn bridges. Either extreme, you get hurt.
I don’t know the answer. (HA! You came here looking for answers?! Sucker!) I like my level, imperfect though it is. I suppose everyone has to find their own level. But from what I’ve seen in the world of late, I would recommend erring on the side of healthy respect for authority. So many people throw away authority simply because it is what it is, forgetting that authority became that way through experience and gaining knowledge. It’s not always right, and sometimes it is even taking advantage of you, but if you show people respect you at least improve relations with them and might learn something in the process as well.