Obedience without Understanding

Obedience Without Understanding
Since the days of cradle, we are taught to obey, most of the time, without questioning why.
Parents say, "Listen to me son, I know what is good for you".
As a student, if you disagree with the teachers, you fail. If your answer doesn't tally with the teacher's model answer, you fail.
In the army, you don't question your commander. My commander told me, "Do as you are told. Do first, question later".
Even in church and religion, followers are taught to be obedient.
Of course, we believe obedience is a good thing. It's a virtue...until we begin to stop thinking and follow in blind obedience.

That's how the Germans followed Hitler to exterminate the Jews. That's how followers of cult groups committed mass suicide. That's how some parents refused medical treatment for their children in the name of their religion.

What happened to those who dare to speak out against the establishment? They stick out like a sore thumb. They are chop off, ostracised, marginised. They are a pain to the society.

For any starter who dare to question current assumptions, the voices of criticism are loud and painful.
"Why rock the boat?"
"Do you know how many people are going to suffer cos of you?"
"Loose lips sink boats"
"Who do you think you are?"
"Why major on the minor?"
And suddenly, you find your private life exposed, all your skeletons in the cupboard revealed.
Suddenly, strange calls, harassment, threats.

Sometimes you feel the nagging feeling that the critics could have been right and you have been wrong about your opinions. It's already bad enough dealing with your own imperfection. When you are a child, you think like a child. When you grow up, you look back at the past, and laugh at your own immature thinking.

Now you know why only the ignorant who thinks impossible is nothing, or the foolhardy, will stick their head out of the crowd and speak on the pedestal. Now you know why, it takes the heart of a lion to lead a pack of sheeps.

If you have the wisdom to understand, sometimes the majority may not always be right. For most people, the safer route is to follow the crowd cos there's safety in number, cos you don't want to be lonely one. That's why the route to Heaven is narrow and steep, and few enter, while the route to Hell is wide, and many a crowd.

Now I'm hearing the hit song "Shut up, shut up....". It's still ringing in my ears.