Are you supposed to trust authority?

1. 60

   VinesWritingsposted 12 years ago

   Are you supposed to trust authority?
   
   When I was a youngster, I was taught authority was not to be trusted. That power, in the hands of anyone, can become a dangerous thing. So I'm curious to know the thoughts and ideas of others on this point.
   
   So feel free, and comment.

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2. 72

   lburmasterposted 12 years ago

   Really? Growing up, I had a problem everywhere I went because I always questioned authority. Most adults didn't like me because I always asked too many questions or tried to discuss why what they said didn't work with the knowledge I had. They just wanted me to trust what they said and do what they told me to. But I never gave up that easily... It made growing up a little difficult.

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3. 0

   Old Empresarioposted 12 years ago

   As a kid I was always told to respect cops, but depise lawyers. As an adult, I have learned that the opposite is true. Lawyers are our saviors who protect us and cops are low-lifes who are bored, bitter, and prone to complain about everything. My take is that one should always know their rights but they should understand that it's sometimes easier to go along to get along. If you are ever deprived of life, liberty, or property by authoritian figures like cops (happens all the time), understand that arguing with them or being combative won't get you anywhere. It's best to use lawyers to fight.

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4. 79

   ecogginsposted 12 years ago

   All mutually beneficial relationships begin with trust. Life could not continue without at least some measure of trust. Apparently you trust the authorities in charge of your internet service provider or you would not post your thoughts or opinions online. What you show (even if indirectly) is that there is a difference between blind trust and informed (or earned) trust.
   
   I go with the Bible and the Bible teaches that we should respect the authorities over us. The government is given to us by God to protect us from harm. I have found that most authorities are good people who want to make a positive contribution to society. If we meet with harm, it is usually because either we or others have decided to operate outside of the fair and fundamental guidelines outlined by authorities.
   
   There are of course cases when authorities abuse their position and take advantage of the citizenry. They run roughshod over the regular folk or those outside their clan or club and exploit them for their own purposes. In our society we have many avenues by which to remove that person from his or her position of authority. We have legal rights and in most cases voting rights (even if the voting is by our feet or by revolution).
   
   I would say to err on the side of trust, but to be watchful and informed.

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5. 72

   someonewhoknowsposted 12 years ago

   History repeats itself over and over and most people seem to let it happen without too much questioning but that may be because the information they got was slow in coming or same as always just plain lies that they expect the people to swallow hook line and sinker. The number of them seems almost endless. There is an old saying  - " Power corrupts and infinite power corrupts infinitely"
   Sometimes even family members can't be trusted
   Sometimes friends or those we used to call friends can't be trusted
   Religious as well as political leaders can't be trusted
   People are taught to trust only things in life that bring them money and to hell with personal alliances be they family or friends or neighbors.
   Trust your intuition !
   They say money is power! Well,money can buy power.Even with what we use as money - paper currency which is only an IOU - for real currency such as commodities such as gold or silver or anything that has value other than  just a piece of paper with a value attached that can gain or lose value which is likely to  lose value with Inflation which has proven to be the case most of the time if, history is any judge.
   
   There is another valuable saying - "Those who forget "history" are doomed to repeat it."

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6. 72

   d.williamposted 12 years ago

   yes, we are 'supposed' to trust authority, but with that statement comes a caveat.  Trust and respect are never inherent in any position that any superior holds over our lives, and our well being. 
   Trust and respect are to be earned, and they are both two way streets.  The attributes that command both trust and respect must come from both directions.  There will always be those in authority that abuse their positions for self serving, and those beneath the superiors who deliberately undermine them for their own self serving.
   Although power does seem to go to the heads of some people who laud it over other out of sheer hatefulness. 
   When the statement that: ''absolute power corrupts absolutely'' is used, we must use it with caution.  As a blanket remark we must also include the concept of our perceived creator.  We cannot have it both ways. So we learn to adjust:  give respect and trust to all others until it is proven that that person cannot be trusted or does not deserve our respect.
   Trust and/or respect is never earned from forcing fear or guilt onto another.

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7. 68

   LandmarkWealthposted 12 years ago

   I prefer the term trust but verify.  All positions of authority can be abused.  @ Old Empresario...your comments are a bit offensive.  My father spent 13 years in law enforcement risking his life daily to protect innocent people.  As did many of those officers he worked with.  The only thing he was ever bitter about was how the system put the same animals back on the street so fast, thanks to the lawyers you were busy praising. That and the fact that the media can't wait to hang a cop on some technicality while they were saving somebodys life.
   
   The reality is that I have done some work with some excellent estate planning and tax attorneys who have helped numerous clients.  And I have seen plenty of ambulance chasers destroy numerous areas of our economy and litigate our society to death.  There is good and bad in every field.  Don't go bashing cops generically.  There the first ones you'll be calling when somebody is trying to break in your house in the middle of the night.  And countless cops have died in the line of duty protecting innocent people.

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