Reflection Paper on Responsibility and Obedience
While we may hear obedience and responsibility used
interchangeably, there are some major distinctions that can impact the culture
of our classrooms. Educators teach
responsibility when they provide students the space to make mistakes and then
together, collaborate on how they can avoid the mistake in the future. This collaboration is where the powerful
learning can take place, which can enhance students' ownership in their own
thinking and decision-making. Research
suggests that when students feel ownership, their learning and levels of
persistence can increase. When they effectively
teach responsibility, students are better equipped to deal with adversity when
they leave our classroom.
Today our society raises us to
believe that obedience is good and disobedience is bad. We are taught that we
should all do what we’re told and that the people that are disobedient are
almost always bad people. Society tells us this, but it is not true. Most
people will even be obedient to the point of causing harm to others, because to
be disobedient requires the courage to be alone against authority.
Obedience is a behavior deeply ingrained in us. It is often
an impulse that overrides ethics and sympathy. There is much evidence of this,
including the Holocaust. It was not just a small group of deranged individuals
that committed these atrocities, it was people who had blind obedience to
authority. The tendency to locate the source of behavior disorders in a
particular person or group underestimates the power of situational forces. We
are prone to obey because when we are obedient to an authority it makes us feel
safe and protected. We can’t make mistakes because the authority decides for
us. We can’t be alone, because the authority watches over us. So, no matter
what our behavior is, it can be justified on the ground that we are only
following orders, doing what we’re told from above. We can easily be brought to
view ourselves as an instrument for carrying out another person’s wishes, and
so we no longer feel responsible for our actions. Unfortunately, that can make
us feel responsible to the authority, instead of the content of the orders the
authority is giving. Morality is still there, but the focus is changed. We feel
the need to perform well, out of obligation or duty, to those who are in
authority. This does not necessarily mean that all disobedience is good and all
obedience is bad.
When I was a kid, I didn’t much enjoy obeying my parents, and when I became
a teenager, that attitude became even more evident
. Obeying your parents can seem like a drain on
your fun or can even be interpreted as them being cruel
. While no parent is perfect, many strive to be
loving and consistent
. Therefore,
obedience is for the child’s own good
. The
parent can see beyond the immediate “inconvenience” of finishing chores, saving
money, or completing homework to the ultimate good those responsibilities
bring.
The boundaries and responsibilities parents set up for their children are
not meant to be burdensome but to train
. To
succeed in life, children must learn boundaries, distinguish between right and
wrong, and take on responsibilities
. The
rules and chores are not a cruel hindrance, but they are the building materials
that make for a sound and complete structure in life.
Growing up, you learn that as you get older, you become more responsible for
things in life. You need to go to school, pay bills, do good things, work hard
for a better future, and do your best to live your life to its fullest.
Sometimes, we choose to exclude some of these values. Ignoring
responsibilities greatly affects your life. When missing payments for bills,
you will have to pay additional late fees, along with a drop in your credit
score. By skipping class, you might lose credit for not being present, miss any
assigned homework or lose a pop quiz grade.
Responsibilities are put upon us as a way to show that life takes a little
more work than planned.
