I’d say yes, just cause someone’s in a place of authority doesn’t mean they’re necessarily a good person or even worthy of the level of authority so questioning it can protect you.
Plus a lot of kids get into dangerous situations because of their blind naive trust in authority figures so if they’re taught to be aware and question it could be useful in the future.
It could also make kid more confident to speak up against or report the abuse of authority.
Should kids be taught to always question authority?
@doopayo Sure and you can do this by looking at the authorities results. If someone tells you if you don't pay attention you're gonna be a bum... Look at how much they are earning. Teachers don't earn much. And solely not because of a locked salary. A lot of them are overweight. The world is really messed up yet we think people older than us are wiser... But are they? But the biggest issue with school is they don't teach you how to change. They teach you how to gather knowledge and remember it but that is about it. You can know how to lose weight and still find yourself unhappy that you're over weight. You can know how to show up on time to work but still can't seem to do it... Why is that? You can wanna to study but still not study. Why don't we do what we already know how to do? We may do it for a few days but we go back. Some people lose weight but gain it back... Why? Why would they do all that work just to gain it back? You can know all the information you want but if you don't know how to change your paradigm the knowledge is worthless to you and you will never change unless you do it by accident. Einstein has some good quotes. Don't you think it is funny everybody wants to be well off, financial free, but very few people are? There is clearly something we aren't learning in school. Question your beliefs. You're 15 and you may be thinking someday... or when I grow up I want to be... Why do you think that way? You don't see it now but there is no difference between now and then. I suggest you start your life now. In fact it started 15 years ago. Most of the things you're learning if not all the stuff you learn in high school you will never use. I'm not saying to dropout but start living your life like you're 21 now. You know what you wanna do in life? Well do it now. Why do people look at the salary of jobs then choose to go to college for that? They want money right? Then why don't they do the thing that gets them the most money and is the easiest? Which is starting a business. That might actually be an awareness issue. Might be something you wanna do. You can do it right now you know. Why do you people believe in the Bible and that all things are possible through Christ but yet they are living poor and never get what they pray for? But it says right in the Bible that when you pray believe you have received... But no one does that. They pray but they don't believe. It says right in the Bible make the vision clear and definite, but we don't do that do we? All the wise men throughout history disagreed on everything except one thing: What you think about and internalize, you become. But yet it has remained a secret though it isn't a secret. You have Einstein, Edison, Ford, Carnegie, the Bible, Tesla, Emerson, Troward, Egypt, and even many people today saying it but nobody ever does it... "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."(Einstein) "Imagination is more important than knowledge"(Einstein). Now why would a guy that smart say those things... Why instead do we listen to the people around us not doing any better than we are... Could that be why everyone is average? Go ask all of your teachers what is a paradigm and how do you change it... Especially ask the psychology teacher or counselor in your school... See if even one of them can give you a definite answer that isn't an opinion.
Yes. I think kids should definitely question authority since it's one of the biggest illusions in life.
But sometimes authority is legitimate and there for a good reason. Sometimes authority isn't completely incompetent. Like as a parent, I'd be perfectly fine explaining exactly why I'm telling my child that they should do x, y, z and with them questioning me. However if they decide that they don't like my answers and can't really argue with them, but just want to rebel and be disobedient, I'd use my executive power there. Expecially if it was a matter of safety. Children are children and often lack the emotional and mental ability to cope with reality effectively, so I'll do my best to help them develop and bridge that gap, and that take extra time and effort. But there are absolutely circumstances when it's appropriate to just exert my power/ force and move on, and it's up to the parent to know that. I'm also in favor of debriefing children after such times when I just used executive power. Sometimes kids will know better than you as well and will be able to point out when you're being an arrogant cunt, so I don't wanna miss those opportunities to learn.
I believe if I raise my children this way, they'll automatically see the contrast between that and the rest of the world. Like with their teachers and other figures of authority. They'll be in the habit of questioning authority and hopefully my methods will have produced a space where they feel comfortable discussing things like that with me. If I can do that, then I'll be in a good position to help them learn to navigate life tactfully and intelligently. They'll be able to be aware illegitimate and legitimate authority. They'll learn how to think for themselves.
Of course we should. I tell my kids the same thing because I was the same way growing up without that prompting. If I went by my dad's beliefs, I'd be unhappily married to some guy serving his every whim and praying for a divorce. I know this because it is exactly the way he treats my mom.
He is the type of parent that used the "do it because I said so" which I despise a parent ever using on their children. It is such a cop out response. I tell my kids all the time ill be glad to explain my reasoning once the task is accomplished and, if they can reason a better way of doing things, ill be absolutely glad to change my stance.
My job as a parent is to guide them to doing the right things, not control them by force or blind obedience. There is a big difference between questioning and being disobedient. Leading your child to that zone is a balancing act, but one that is critical to our future success as a species.
Unless your goal is to make your child into a mindless drone, then teach them to ask the right questions and of the right people. Teach them that questioning the morally grey is ok. Teach them that they can do all of this respectfully with consideration to the feelings of others as well.
My father always says this: "Don't blindly follow whatever your teachers or anyone else tells you. Question every single thing, curiosity is good, but at the same time, you have to respect people. Some people just want to guide you in the right path, at that time, you have to take their suggestions into account and make your own informed decisions. Just because other people are doing something, doesn't mean that you should do that too. Do what is best for you without intentionally hurting others. Even if people are rude to you, or disrespect you, stand up for yourself, but be respectful, because you are not them. You're not cheap, you're a gem. Don't stoop to their level. I know that you are extremely intelligent. School scores are not everything, sure, they help you get into college, but intelligence is much much more than that. Learn as much as you can in your life. It's never too late to learn anything. Knowledge, experience, good-decision making skills, curiosity and intelligence can go a long way. Use your curiosity to fuel your ambitions, and gain more knowledge."
Of course. Blind obedience is dangerous for a vulnerable child. It is imperative that a child knows to speak up for themselves. Children are, like anyone else, at risk of being physically or emotionally harmed. Even if the situation is not a direct threat to their safety, even grown-ups are wrong. Just watch the news or read a history book. Why shouldn't you encourage a child to identify the gray areas that constitute the world?
Of course, especially since there are people in positions of authority who abuse their power.
For example, people who work in psych wards are repugnant people as they have a tendency to abuse the afflicted in their care.
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Anonymous
(45 Plus)
+1 y
Yes. Definitely. I think as soon as kids learn to cross the street and cook a meal, they've officially graduated from childhood. The only important thing left would be that if your child knows he or she can trust you, they will instinctively not need to and never will trust strangers or allow themselves to be manipulated. Because a trustworthy parent's presence will be so strong that anyone else's offer will seem dim in comparison. Even before that, children still have instincts that are rooted in their DNA, programmed with the resulting wisdom of thousands of years of trial and error, and of the survival of the strongest and smartest. I would take children's gut instincts seriously, most importantly because their instincts are sharper than mine which have been subject to blunting for decades in the education system. Authority, or should I say bad authority, takes itself way too seriously these days and over-values itself. They say it's for your own good, but they are pulling the wool over your eyes. A lot of people fall for it too. The truth is they are just control freaks wanting to micromanage every drop of benefit out of you. Or they are so insecure and scared of being out of control that they won't let you budge. Worst part, our parents are already the product of that system. As part of it, they are required to transfer that unquestioning obedience to us their children, or they will be subject to punishment themselves too!
Don't get me wrong, leaders, facilitators, and observers are needed to keep the body of society functioning just like the brain keeps the physical body in order. I have been lucky to work with some of the greatest ones, and that's where I learned this from. But the problem is that the great, smart, and efficient ones are few and far between. Unfortunately that has left us with lots of bad ones that do more harm than good, not just to other people, but to their own organizations too.
I like to keep the feedback lines open to the highest authority in a system. Specially in the U. S. I've seen it work to reduce corruption and have good outcomes for everyone. It works. You just have to actually write or say something. It helps strengthen the power of the people who are really trying to help, over the evil ones. I've seen it happen. I believe the reason for a lot of our troubles right now are that people who are wronged think that they have to resort to dramatic actions to make a change. That is wrong and also another illusion created by the wrong doers to make it seem that fixing things is such a hard battle that it makes you feel like just quitting. It is manipulation at its more extreme. Lots of times just bringing the problem to the attention of the right person can easily correct it and prevent more damage. Thank goodness at least we still have the infrastructure to do that. I hope we use it before we lose it. A lot of countries don't anymore. Rebuilding that infrastructure is near impossible, if not at the price of lost lives and chaos.
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Opinion Owner
+1 y
In answer to some of the comments about underpaid teachers: 1- Teachers aren't underpaid. They know about as much, do less, and get paid more than most minimum wage workers. 2- Being underpaid is the lamest excuse for not doing your job. It is the equivalent of stealing because you are poor. At least we have a social system that will give you a security net. Either get yourself a raise, or leave. There are much more deserving, honest, hardworking people out there that can do your job better and be grateful for the pay. And if lots of you leave due to low wages, for sure someone will do something about it. So no lame excuses please. 3- Ever wondered why school staff and teachers are addressed with a "Ms." or "Mr." title, while so many figures of financial success and real power, even university professors, are simply addressed by their first names only? Yup! Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe we should stop that one.
Absolutely they should, but there is nuance to it. When we are young, adults are an authoritarian figure who we have to listen to. "No you can't get in the oven with the cookies" "No you can't drink chicken stock" "No you can't cover your body in peanut butter" so there is a degree of authoritarian nature needed with young people.
I also will say that our schools are absolutely failing our students because of those reasons listed in that photo. My partner is a middle school teacher and the first thing he teaches his students every years is "I'm not always right. I am biased, and I have opinions and sometimes I am wrong." And it's like their little minds explode, but we must say that so that young people learn how to think for themselves.
School is a mess because we teach kids that there is one type of intelligence and if you're not that one specific type then you're a failure, or lesser in some way. And the young people who are that type often get burnt out and don't know how to function as adults and don't care to. It harms people with learning and mental disabilities, it harms people of different race and class. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to fix our schools, definitely.
And we should absolutely be teaching our young people to question everything people do, not to be a pest or an asshole, but because we should not be going through life just believing what our parents, our government or news media tells us.
1.5K opinions shared on Entertainment & Arts topic.
From the ideas & actions they promote to the worthiness of their placement in a position of authority, we can probably both agree that humans should always be entitled to have questions or doubts. That's why I believe that this way of thought is on the right track. But I'd prefer to add more material to it. I'd say something like:
It's okay to have opinions that differ from those of an authority figure. But we must first understand the value of compliance. Because that is how you're statistically most likely to be taken seriously & succeed in human society. You don't have to agree to comply. But the best & quickest way to improve a system would be to play by its rules & slowly change from within.
With that in mind, if you specifically have any doubts you want to communicate, especially ones you feel are important (as in, you feel they can be the difference between a very bad or good outcome), try your best to do an impartial cost-benefit analysis for the situation. And then assuming your decision to express yourself is based on what is ethical or rational, adjust your words & actions to best fit your goal while utilizing any tools & being aware of the many possible obstacles involved. Because you could potentially accomplish the same or even better results by playing your cards right.
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Anonymous
(30-35)
+1 y
Yes. But what people are lacking the part where what authority there is convinces you of it's validity. Too many people heard "question authority", but wouldn't stop to hear an answer as to when you should trust. It's mostly a bad parenting and bad education system thing. Dumb kids end up being fucked in the head because the adults around them weren't competent to be beneficial authoritative figures. Ironically, by having a bad relationship with authority millennials and gen z try to fill the void with institutions like governments. They tend to look to big daddy government to fix anything and everything, and think in alignment with corporate messaging. So they can do dumb shit like tell you how inclusive the CIA is or on social media a corporation will put a rainbow flag over their logo in June, and for suddenly everyone is parroting the corporations and singing their praises.
Questioning authority is a good start, be it needs good authorities to be able to earn the trust of those people. It starts with parents.
You're just 15 so its understabdable that you're pretty much still a clueless child.
Kids do not understand life because they have never started life. They have no idea what is necessary for a happy life. Kids don't like school when they are young because who likes homework? nobody right?
By the time these kids graduate from high school, no college wants to accept them because their grades were so terrible in high school. So they start working minimum wage jobs until they finally realize that its miserable way to live, strugglin to pay for things/ survive.
They start immediately regretting not working hard enough in school when they were young. As they see lawyers and doctors drive their Lamborghini, eating at nice restaurants, wearing the nicest shoes they can never afford, going on all kinds of vacations. This is when these young adults finally start understanding that an education is necessary for a happy life. It gets more difficult as these folks have children. Because they will suffer one hell of a time tryin to raise them.
it has A LOT to do with what you're saying. In general, children should listen to adults. Becaues you as a kid, have completely no life expeirence, and you really don't know what you need in life to be successful as an adult. Teenagers find smoking cocaine to be cool and popular and hip. All the popular kids are doing it, so why should I do it? But do you realize all the consequences of doing drugs? go google it.
In general, kids should be listening to adults. Sure, there are always gonna be bad adults out there but you will be better off listening to adults than listening to the popular kids at school
@Tstrbrainer just move out of your parents place hun. Start paying your own rent, buying all your own stuff. Its not only then that you will truly understand what I mean. Sure, you don't need to buy Lamborghinis, but what about your vacations? what about being able to freely buy anything you need? what about not having to worry about money in everyday life? this is not something you will understand until you start being financially responsible for yourself.
So you beleive that authority should NEVER be questioned? The asker is clearly not referring to disobeying her mother or whining about not being able to drive Lamborghini. Just so you know, not all doctors and lawyers are rich. That's a false assumption most folks have
The asker is talking about not mindlessly obeying an authority's order. People should be able to think for themselves. Intelligence is much more than test scores and college. Im not disagreeing with what you said, but your opinion clearly did not match with the context of @doopayo question.
Also, it's very ignorant of you to say that she's just a child. She's 15. Sure, she is a teenager, but she's not saying anything wrong. I've seen many 30 year old folks on here act like immature kids, what do you say about that? Don't see her age, see her opinions. So when she turns 18 one day, she'd suddenly become the most mature woman on this planet and then she'd be allowed to have opinions? You cannot dismiss people just because of their age. Im sorry to say, but it's extremely ignorant and foolish of you
I remember what it was like when I was 15. Kids were extremely rebellious, never listened to authority, didn't want to do homework, disrespected teachers, interested in drugs, had underage. Guess what those kids are doing now? working minimum wage jobs, working as strippers to pay their rent. Their college educated peers are doing way better than them. College educated peers have houses, cars, work for large corporations where benefits are amazing, going on vacations every year. Meanwhile the other broke asses are struggling to survive , don't even talk about going on vacations.
If I won't listen to a 15 yr old for advice, I wouldn't advise other 15 yr olds to teach other 15 yr olds. Its as simple as that. You're so young that you don't even know how much you do not know about the real world.
If kids should be taught to question authority, there will be no way in hell they will ever listen to authority. Because teens already have enough of a hard time listening to adults. do you think adding more rebellious kids to our society will better us off?
You know nothing at 15. You've never been in the real world. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW BIG LIFE IS A STRUGGLE. You never had to pay your own bills, feed yourself, pay for your own schooling, pay for your own food, worry if someone else is gonna take your job, worry if you won't be able to pay the next month's rent.
This is why you have none of you ever do your homework or listen to your teachers. This is why you all think weed and cocaine is so cool. You don't understand shit about the real world. If you all understood the real world, you would be doing your homework, obeying teachers, instead of hanging out afterschool doing nothing, having sex, getting bad grades, doing cocaine.
teens question authority all the time. In fact, most of them refuse to listen to authority. so do you really think it'll be better if we made you all , even more rebellious? sure, be rebellious, watch yourself suffer the consequences by the time you're 25 and you realize your lack of career options. Watch other people doing way better you in life.
I remember what it was exactly like at your age. So you don't need to tell me about how you feel or what you think.
Wow, that was a big wall of message. Look, you CANNOT generalize all teenagers. Some teenagers, such as myself are not rebellious. And oh, guess what? I am a straight A student and im going to med school next year :) My dad taught me to question authority but at the same time be respectful while doing so. Read my opinion on this question. Now let ME as YOU a question. You're just 23, what do YOU know about life? Im genuinely curious. Not being aggressive :)
@tatianamay I'm actually turning 26 this month. I have been through high school, college, the workforce, watched my high school classmates grow up from 15 yr olds to 25 yr old adults. I remember when I was your age, I was desperate for freedom too. But don't worry because it really won't be long before you have your freedom. But at the same time when you have your freedom, you also realize that you will be solely responsible for yourself. Basically this is a nicer way of saying "you're on your own. nobody cares about you anymore." This usually comes at 18 or after college.
This means that if you need an new pair of shoes, one day your parents will no longer buy you it. If you need a new suit for an interview, your parents won't buy you it. If you can't pay your rent, your parents won't want to pay it for you. If you get hurt, you will have to get back up yourself (your parents won't always be there).
This is when adults finally understand the real world and what it takes to survive. They finally realize that being on tiktok or snapchat or instagram all day really isn't gonna help pay their bills or raise their kids. At your current age, this is the only time in life where you have the utmost free time. Life just gets busier and busier as you get older. In college, you might have to attend school full time while working a job to pay your tuition. After college, you might find yourself spending 8-9 hours a day slaving away at your job, learning , kissing your bosses' ass. In a few years when you hit your mid to late 20s, you might have to work full time while attending graduate school full time. Then in your 30s, you probably will end up need to take care of kids after working a 9 hour day. And if you're not financially ready to raise kids, get ready for one hell of a hard time.
You can't question every single authority that you meet in life. You can't doubt everyone you meet. I know teens like you love questioning authority. Its nothing new. If I had a child that was questioning every single thing that I told him to do, then he might as well stop learning because your heart is not there.
At this point in life, you don't know when its proper to question authority or not because you're simply so inexperienced and clueless. How are you gonna learn anything if you spend more time questioning others than listening?
I'm 26 soon. But when I think back to when I was 16, I came a long way over the past 10 years. I'm no longer naive because I have been hurt my bad people, sexual predators, and I've learned a lot from interacting with society over the years. I've had the chance to see many people and do many things that you never got to see or do. You don't have this experience so this is why you're much more vulnerable and naive. I know much more about humans, society, workforce. This coupled with the fact that you've never had a taste of the real world. How are you supposed to know how to prepare yourself for the real world, if you dont even know what being in the real world feels like?
I apologise for being rude, I never said I disagreed with you, but I stand by my opinion on this question (what my dad advised me) I do take people's suggestions into account, but I will also make my own informed decisions. Adults are humans too and they can't always know what's right for me. I make my own informed decisions after careful deliberation
I'm not saying every single authority is correct. But at this point in life , you need a teacher or someone to guide the way. If you refuse to listen to anyone's guidance, you will simply be lost. Its better to listen to an adult tell what you what to do (even if you don't fully agree), than to stand there and continue being lost and do nothing. I know what you're talking about (not every single authority makes the right decision) but when you're ultra clueless, its better to have some sort of guidance than to be completely lost.
if you have a problem that you dont know how to resolve, you ask your father. your father may not give you the best sounding solution. and you might question it a little. but listening to his advice is better than you just be completely clueless and not know what to do at all.
Eventually as you get older, you will finally learn how to resolve situations on your own due to your broadened knowledge of society. but for right now, follow other people's example.
If I had a child, I would make sure that he has social skills, is able to do public speaking. You might ask why? because the reality is , in the real world workforce, managers promote those who they like rather than robots who simply do a good job. IN order to be likable, you need to have decent social skills, you need to know how to charm people. If you want to become a leader, you're probably gonna need to stand in front of a crowd and do presentations. You won't be able to talk in front of a crowd if you've never done it before.
If I my child told me that he wants to be a director of a non profit organizations. I can tell my child exactly what he needs to do to get there. Non profit directors are usually from top colleges. I can tell my child All the secrets / tricks of the trade. And if I can't have my kid constantly question every little thing I tell him (just because he thinks it sounds weird). Because when you question too much, you're not learning.
@Ayanna240 you said it yourself, as long as the parent or teacher is a good one.
But not all are perfect. I should say, I've seen some really trash parents and teachers.
Basically not everyone shares the same values. And not every kid is concerned about the stuff, the complexities in life you said, I was concerned about some of these during my teenage years, like job, bills etc, but as I got older I cared less and less.
I do agree that children who listen to their parents might tend to do well in the long term, but not all of them would be happy with that.
Also I've seen lots of children who wanted to listen to their parents, live up to the expectations of the parents, teachers and societies who ended their life in a rope because they couldn't take it
Generally speaking, kids who listen to their parents tend to do better in life. Believe it or not, I have seen countless times where parents did not reign strict control over their teenage kids, their kids will only have it harder in their adult life.
I recently met a 20 yr old , he is extremely young, just began the workforce not too long ago. He was oddly respectful, well behaved, understood work place etiquette such as always be early to work (being late causes inconvience for your coworkers), cleaning up after himself to perfection, if his coworkers did him a favor , he always returend the favor. He understands the importance of a job well done.
All of this stuff gains him RESPECT in the workplace. People will look up to him. As a reuslt, he can get many things more easily such as promotions, mentorship, referral letters.
And he has become this way because he said his mother taught him well when he was young. Social skills, manners, respect, social / work place etiquette is learned and developed when you are young, not when you're 24 years old.
Sure you may not like it if your parents are constantly telling you what to do or what to say. You may feel its even unnecessary (who needs manners in high school where kids are rowdy and rude), but you will thank yourself when you grow older. All these things your mother taught you is not gaining you respect from others.
I know from personal experience being a 16 yr old when I hated being told what to do. At 16 years of age, you're still extremely clueless about the world. You're really better off listening to your parents than to listen to yourself.
And for the kids who are obsessed with "questioning authority", its a clear indication that you won't be learning very much. From my experience through the years, obedient kids do not tend to question authority very much. Because when you're a teen , you will be asked to do things you don't want to do. You will feel like many things you do are silly / pointless (in your perspective) but in the real world, these things will help you succeed. You can't just stop learning whenever you feel like something is silly or pointless.
Sure at 16 , learning public speaking, practicing social skills, returning favors to others may seen silly or pointless. But if your refuse to learn it (because you think its silly), you simply will miss out on the skills to succeed in life as an adult.
We live in a society where things are becoming increasingly competitive both academically and professionally. Being competent at your job is no longer going to get you that promotion. Doing average in school is not going to help you get into graduate school. Being college educated really won't mean that you won't struggle to pay your mortgage and car. Corporations are extremely picky with who they hire. Connections matter immensely when it comes to finding a job. Social skills matter more than it should when it comes to seeking promotions.
We live in a very competitive environment where every little thing matters. If you decide to not learn things until you're 25 years old, the only one who is losing big time is only YOU. The kid who listened to his parents had a HEADSTART ahead of you.
When you learn things as a kid, it comes more naturally as an adult. When you wait until you are 23 years old to start learning manners , its harder for you to adapt and put all the things to practice. Learning is the easiest when you are young, it gradually gets more difficult as you get older.
😂😂😂. I can't believe you said that a teenager needs to learn to return favours. I always thought it as a part of normal human decency. You can teach a five year old to return favours, if an older kid needs to be taught it, I would think either the kid is retarded or is an oppertunist.
Plus, some people will be different in certain ways as they age, as in certain preferences change.
I was worried about getting a job or promotion back in my teenage years, but as I age, I don't really care about career development or whatever. All I need is a job to get food and healthcare and I can do that.
People don't return favors. You'd be surprised how many people are frequently laet to work, messy when it comes to cleaning up after themselves, forget important things. By the way, you're not allowed to make big mistakes when you're at work. If its a huge mistake, it will tarnish your reputation, ruin your image. This also goes back to having good work ethic. You'd be surprised at how many young adults do not understand the importance of a job well done to perfection. When clients are paying you to do a job, they are expecting perfection. This is what I will teach my children and I have no doubt that if my kids listen to everything I tell them, they will definitely succeed at anything they do in life.
You may have lost motivation for doing well in life. But I wouldn't suggest all kids follow in your footsteps. Having ambition and top goals is never a bad thing.
Much of how you turn out as an adult, has to do with how you were raised by your parents. Young adults with good work ethic, were taught by their parents the importance of doing a job well. Young adults with good social etiquette was taught well by their parents at home. Kids who did well in school, had parents who enforced education at home. Young adults who litter on the street or make messes in public, is a sign that they likely had bad role models when they were young. OR they probably was never responsible for cleaning or housework.
Just wait until 10 years later where cost of living will continue to rise, when you have a family to support, college educations to pay for, retirement to save for.
Things are comfy right now because you don't have much responsibility.
I have worked minimum wage jobs and also professional jobs. Professional workers are not only compensated better, they also get better benefits, more respect, easier to raise a family, enjoy earlier retirement, employers take care of them better.
Definitely they are better off, but having a job oriented education have it's toll on the childhood.
From What I saw around me, I don't think children really need to be so worried about getting good grades. I find it pointless, at least in my experience
Folks who don't get good grades tend to be find themselves with very limited career options when they grow older. For example, if you couldn't get into college. You're really just limited to security, retail, dirty dangerous trade jobs, caretakers, home health aides, uber drivers, janitors. 95% of these people do not truly enjoy what they do, mostly due to the severely low pay.
Folks who are able to attend college have a wide variety of careers to pick from : technology, business, nursing, medical school, law school, finance, marketing, accounting. These people can PICK what they want to do for life rather than to be forced into something just for the sake of having a job.
And as for trade jobs, nobody is going into these fields for a good reason. These jobs tend to be very dirty, dangerous, disgusting, physically laborious jobs that you cannot work until old age. Only folks who couldn't do well in high school end up doing trade jobs.
[Definitely they are better off, but having a job oriented education have it's toll on the childhood.]
Going to college also takes a huge toll on young adult life. But guess what? college educated people end up being happier for the rest of hteir lives compared to folks who never went to college. YOu must sacrifice something in order to gain something. Nobody is given to you in life for free. If you want a comfortable lifestyle where you don't have to worry about money, you need to pay the price. Nobody is gonna give you a lamborgini to your front door for free, nobody is gonna give you a $100k starting salary job if you don't have any education / skills, nobody is going to give you a house for free. everything you have in life is EARNED and it will take a toll on you regardless if you like it or not.
take a look at lawyers, they busted their asses trying to make the best grades in college so they can get accepted into law school. After spending 4-5 years in undergrad, they still need to take out loans to pay for graduate school which is another 2-3 years. After graduating, they still need to further study for their bar licensing exam , which many of them tend to fail. After they pass, this is when they finally become lawyers.
you don't think this takes a toll on them? what made you think life was easy? where you didn't have to work for anything and still get paid a lot?
@Ayanna240 omg, i dont want to be rude, but I do know that lawyers and doctors work hard in high school. This is completely irrelevant. My parents are surgeons, and my great-grandfather was a lawyer, all my grandparents are surgeons as well. My brother is in med school now, and I have grown up seeing them busting their asses off. NOT all doctors and lawyers can afford Lamborghini. I know more about medicine and law field more than you do, because my family members are in that field and I have grown up seeing them work. Dude literally nobody is disagreeing with you. I have no idea why you are arguing now
In the US, many surgeons and lawyers drive Lamborghinis. I know more about life than you. And honestly, if you do not like studying. Becoming a surgeon / doctor is not for you. Surgeons and doctors need to study all the time to keep up updated with advances in modern medicine / technology. Its easy to talk about becoming a surgeon , doctor but if you do not like to study, you will be happier going into another field.
I have went to college where I have met a lot of students how got into medical school. These students are ridiculously brilliant, talented at science, love studying their craft. If you complain about studying taking a toll on you, there is a high chance that the medical profession is not for you. Medical students tend to be very big time nerds. Its harder to become a doctor than it is to become a lawyer. Its harder to become a surgeon than it is to become a general practitioner doctor.
@Ayanna240 I have straight As and I'm planning to write the entrance exam in a few months. You know nothing about me. I very well know what I want to do in my life. I have ambition. Just because you went to college, does not mean that you know everything about everyone.
now I understand nobody likes to study 24/7. At some point, you will need to take a break. Or do another hobby once in a while. But if you hate studying or find it very annoying like the rest of the population, becoming a doctor won't make you happy. Do what you love (things that make you happy), don't do things just for the sake of money.
@Ayanna240 Good lord, I never said I was doing this for money. My family is wealthy enough. I know that you are just looking out for me, but I know myself better. Thank you.
other applicants to medical school also have straight As. You're competing with other smartest kids in the country. what is gonna make you stand out of all the other applicants?
@Ayanna240 Not everyone lives in the USA. Where I live, I have to pass the entrance exam. I have been preparing for it for like 4 years now. I'm confident in my memory, and the countless revisions and tests that I have done. My scores will speak for themselves
Getting Bs will not get you accepted into most of the good colleges in the US. You probably would get into some no name private college that nobody knows about. From my experience, you need to strive to get the A, if you want to get to places in life. Maybe not all straight As but mostly As. Society is all about survival of the fittest. Who gets the best jobs is based heavily on credentials.
sure study your entire life then. you won't be happy. if studying "takes a toll" on you, then chances are, you're just doing it for the money. Not because your heart is in it.
@Ayanna240 I never said studying takes a toll on me. But at the same time, I am not going to be studying 24/7. I will take some 5 mins breaks, and study with my full concentration on that subject. You're irritating me a lot now, kindly please stop this. You don't know anything about me, and you're just putting words into my mouth. Please mind your own business.
US medical schools are the most difficult to get into. Only the most brilliant top students around the country. This is why our medical care is one of the best around the world.
poor people tend to do whatever it takes to make a few bucks in the world even if its doing something they have absolutely no passion for. Its very common for folks in 3rd world countries.
@Ayanna240 American high school system is not the best. Maybe the university, but high school? nah. I'm not planning to go to the USA for college, maybe for post-grad, but I'm planning to move to Norway after my undergrad. Not interested in America. There are better countries than that
america has the best standard of living and you wouldn't even come here. because you know our medical school system is too selective and only the best of the best get in. Its easier to get into medical schools in Europe.
Lmfao, you're implying that I'm poor just because I am from India? Ignorant much? Get off your non-existent American high horse. My family is filled with surgeons, business magnates and lawyers. My parents are wealthy enough. I do not need to prove myself to you or to anyone else. You are just a stranger on the internet who says ignorant, random shit all the time. Being ignorant is not cool sweetheart. Being a know-it-all isn't cool either :)
@Ayanna240 tati here is from a country with high population and she's gonna compete with nearly two million students for medical entrance exams. It is considered one of the toughest exams in the world, as I've heard.
And trust me, I feel like she's doing this for herself. These two million contains most brilliant students. But this pool also contains idiots and also brilliant students who didn't choose it.
Some of these kids are just pressured by adults into it and trust me a good number of them commit suicide.
And tati here never complained about studies, as far as I know and that needs a lot of confidence. Being a Teenager, she still knows what she wants.
And you don't need a college degree to succeed in life. I don't buy that
I remember you said in another comment section where you wouldn't marry a poor man because you would have trouble raising your children. Or that you refuse to work as a doctor in india because your indian doctors simply didn't make much money.
Of course you wouldn't come to the US, you know you wouldn't get accepted here either way.
If she said she won't marry a poor man, it obviously means she's speaking for herself and not counting on her family's assets. It doesn't necessarily mean she's poor.
@Ayanna240 Doctors in India don't make much money, but my parents do, because they have their own hospital and my father has a lot of experience. Having standards in choosing a potential romantic partner is not wrong, unlike you, at least I have standards. I'm not a gold-digger because I can fend for myself, but I refuse to marry an aimless slacker. The exam I am going to write is one of the toughest examinations in the world. Even after being educated, you are very very ignorant and foolish. Let's see if your so called brilliant Americans students would be able to crack the exam.
So if you don't need a degree to succeed in life, then why is tati so desperate to leave her country and pursue a degree in Europe? she's not happy with how much doctors make in india.
@PrettyPriya the level of ignorance @Ayanna240 is exhibiting is appalling. She is being extremely ignorant and I find some of her replies quite offensive. Kindly look into this
[If she said she won't marry a poor man, it obviously means she's speaking for herself and not counting on her family's assets. It doesn't necessarily mean she's poor.]
I spoke to her in a previous comment section. she said that she can't afford to marry a poor man because she worries about how being financially stable enough raising a family on her own
you're just offended that I pointed out that your family is not rich. this is all that there is to it. you don't like it when people tell you truths that you don't like to hear. Am I supposed to compliment you and tell you nice lies all the time so you can feel better?
@Ayanna240 I cannot marry a poor man because I want nothing to do with my family. I want to be on my own. I do not want to count on my family's assets.
@Ayanna240 Just because I do not want to marry a poor man and want to be on my own, does not mean that my family is not well-off. My family is not rich, they're wealthy. Huge difference between both. You are living in a first world country? Are you wealthy?
I mean, you must be pretty dissatisfied with your lifestyle , if you are willing to move so far away into another country to pursue a degree. Only poor dissatisfied people move away, financially well off comfortable people tend to stay in their countries. If you were financially well off then why would you be so worried?
@Ayanna240 You are being very offensive now. Doctors are treated very poorly in India, and I refuse to live in a country where I am going to be treated poorly. I understand that you are just a jobless whiny troll on G@G. Even if my parents are not Bill Gates rich, I am wealthy enough to fend for myself. I am not going to inherit my parents money as they want me to be financially stable on my own. Maybe I will be poor if I do not inherit their money, but a person's fortune is not equal to their intelligence. Your replies speak for themselves. You are extremely foolish and dumb, no offense
thats right. Doctors in india do not make much money. This is why you're desperate to flee. why would you try to deny this in the first place? we wouldn't have gotten into this argument if you just faced the facts
You say that college is really not necessary to a successful life. There is some sort of truth to that. But here's the reality: Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of harvard to create his start a billion dollar company. But if you dropped out, what are you going to do? nothing! drive taxis, work minimum wage jobs, clean bathrooms.
If you want to be an accountant, sure you don't necessarily need a degree. But without college, who is going to teach you how to become an accountant?
Sure you don't necessarily need a degree to work for a tech giant company, but without a degree, what are your chances of getting hired at Apple? slim to none! Because you're competing against people who are not only skilled but also have degrees. why would apple hire you over someone else who is just as good (with a degree)?
where is the average 19 yr old kid gonna find a mentor to teach him how to do accounting (while on the job)? do you think every kid has the luxury of a father who is an accountant, pulling him into the company as an intern, being paid to learn accounting at a corporation?
and what are your chances building your own billion dollar company with no knowledge, education, skills, experience? the chances of that happening is VERY SMALL. Not saying it can't happen at all. But the likelihood of that happening is tiny
I don't think you realize how fierce competition is for great paying jobs right now in the real world. The better paying the job, the harder it is to get the job. And if you don't have a degree, you're competing for this same job , with other applicants who do have the degree. You're already at a disadvantage. In fact, some corporations insist on only hiring people with college degrees.
Just because you lack motivation for something a bit better in life, it doesn't mean everyone should aim for low standards like you. Some people do have the motivation for better things in life.
2021 is more competitive than 2000. Our society will only become increasingly competitive 15-30 years from now. Its best to develop the best credentials early on so we can compete in the near future.
Well, these things are just not for me. But if a person wants to work a lot or study a lot, they should, but they should do it for themselves.
It's not fair for adults to tell us what we should do. If l listen to my parents, definitely I'll be already having enough qualification to earn thick, but I won't work for long, I might do it for a year and just run away
I don't think any of us like to work a lot, pull out huge loans for school. But we have to, in order to survive well in our future years. You can not put in the work right now but you will just suffer later. Don't get jealous if you see all of us having fun, enjoying the better things in life. We gave it our all during our younger years to have that kinda stuff.
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I kind of reject a lot of that philosophy. Of course, we should question authority. But I do not think that sentiment comes from school. I think many forces in our society have a vested interested in having folks simply accept lies as being truth. I think a proper education empowers people to not simply follow the butt that is in front of them. Which is why there is a war on education, science, and fact nowadays.
The leaders in this society want compliance. And they want American citizens to force compliance on each other. This was an awesome movie based upon a true story.
As a child, I always stayed away from authority as I wanted to formulate an ideology of my own, not biased by other people's opinions and politics. I was born in Texas, yet I ignored my Republican parents as I wanted to salute myself to my own ideology.
I began to develop it over a period of researching and frankly, frantic observing. I kept to myself and viewed the world with an unbiased look, and slowly, I began to develop my ideology. Unity over Divison, To look at people and situations through multiple lends, and to always ask questions.
If I had listened to them as every other child did, I would be as biased as every other person in this society. Infected by an ideology, either that being Liberalism or Republicanism, forced upon me instead of deciding for myself. And I wouldn't want to ask for it any other way.
The same happened to me. I was raised by a super religious household and had a lot of hate for people I didn’t even know just because it was what I was taught.
I’m happy I thankfully deviated from my old beliefs that were just my parents extremist beliefs and formed my own ✅
Question yes! Be disrespectful while questioning No! If a officer was to pull me over and I felt it unjust I might question his reason. At the same time I am going to obey his orders and document the encounter. There are ways to do things without making the situation worse. If a teacher is in your eyes singling you out it's not going to do any good to make a scene in class by talking back to the teacher. Take your concerns to a councilor or principal. Discuss it in a mature way and you will find you will be more respected and in turn believed to be in the right
Kids should be taught to think for themselves for sure but I don’t know about all around questioning authority cuz in general parents want the best for their kids and if you deliberately question them and go behind their back then you can end up in situations you didn’t even think of since you’re young and didn’t think that far ahead. Questioning teachers just makes everyone’s life harder. Now if the authority figure is abusing their power then yes you should challenge it but that’s why I said kids should learn to think for themselves instead of blindly following what they’re told.
Definitely. It is important to keep our leaders in check. In my opinion, that's one of the problems of American politics. People seem to blindly defend whoever they voted for or their party to no end. (On both sides). It's important to challenge politicians on bad policy.
As a conservative, find it extremely hypocritical that the left were bashing president Trump on every single decision he made (some of them were great for the country), but they have President Biden up on his high horse like he can't do any wrong and never criticize his decisions.
I think it is just as important to challenge and criticize leaders from your own party than to challenge and criticize leaders from the opposing party.
In General all authority should be interrogated for legitimacy and potential corruption. However scientific method can only be criticized by more scientific method. You can’t just randomly criticize scientific method because it’s a form of authority. You have to read Thomas Kuhn “The structure of scientific revolutions “ before you can get in the building. And you have to apply logic and logical fallacies to all arguments. You can’t just criticize just to argue and be contrary (like half my family)
Well see theirs a drawback to everything if you teach kids to question everyone and everything sooner or later they may come to the conclusion that why should we listen to anyone. We should do what we want because we think we are right and no one else is. I don’t have to listen to you because I was train not to listen to people who have control over me officer. What happens afterwards is he goes to jail for doing something that he train to do. So yea honestly I think we should train kids to think for themselves and others, always be careful with your words and try to think with a open mind
These days, yes. The authority leading is like the blind trying to lead the blind. The lack of morals and many individuals stirring people in the wrong route. Growing up I never really questioned authority because I was surrounded by people who genuinely wanted the best for me. The woman that I am today is because of the good uplifting words I was surrounded by as a child.
No child or teen should take an authority off of someone they don't know your child can go into school and trust a teacher then it turns into a complete nightmare I found this out I was in high school when this real pretty girl was in the weight lifting room and when I left this one day the gym teacher told me to close the door and them two was the only one in the weight lifting room and his name was Mickey Davis I should of went to the principal
Yes, you should always question those in authority. There are ways to do so and not get in trouble. The whole thing in society that you should blindly just follow along with the crowd or who ever is in charge is ridiculous.
Only a Sith deals in absolutes! I would prefer to question rather then not question. But you may want to keep enough authority to guide children in the right direction. So question but not despise or oppose as a first instinct. But I think I agree with the essence of what you are saying.
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When you h o n e and your craft and your words you are going to be one of the best natural leaders in this world I believe I love the way your brain works I love the way you take your stance I love the way that you see things you're getting better and better
They should not only question people of authority but question everyone else as well. Authority figures do not want to be questioned. The sign of a good parent is that they explain everything never "because I said so". Also never second guess yourself either.
Also never take crap from anyone who thinks just because you're young that you don't know anything. I know people that are older and they still don't know anything. Yes this is aimed at the person attacking you. These types of people are the ones who either don't have any children or if so the children try to avoid at all cost and grandchildren even more so. Since there is no edit feature on here.
For sure. In fact the only legitimate authority is between parents and their children. After that all authority is based on either unnecessary compliance or threat of violence. Which is exactly same as a robber pointing a gun at you ask asking for your money, because he now has the "authority to do so".
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A critical mind that isn't paired with intelligence and solid knowledge will only make 'you' a neo-feminist, a Karen, a conspiracy theorist and such: a nuisance - and nothing else. Authority needs to be tested and to be confirmed; over and over again. And if 'you' do plan a revolution: I'm fine with it; but 'you' better be good at it :)
Yes of course but that doesn’t mean to be disrespectful of your elders or to someone in authority. If it looks like the authority figure is in the wrong and addressing the issue starts to become a battle then just agree to disagree and leave it alone until you can discuss it with you parents or maybe whoever is their supervisor that way you bring attention to the issue and it may help from you unfairly getting in trouble plus a mature person can have a debate without being disrespectful
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They need to learn to question the facts, certainly. Understood "facts" and actual "Truth" are not the same thing. That's been understood by every great mind in history.
Learn to ask "why not" questions about the impossible.
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personally I don't think it is a bad thing to do at all. I am kind of cynical by nature and really just don't blindly follow everything. It never hurts to do some research, esp. on nutural sites, not just sites that agree with your opinion on things. For that metter doing research on anything is not a bad idea, then you can make an informed decision on whatever comes up.
Your parents should have instilled that in you by your age. If you don’t have that in your life, I can see why one might question such. It’s vital at especially a young age to find that father figure /mother that will be able to teach you such values in life.
You are right. I have run into that with multiple young people that do things but do not understand why. I have spent many years both in the Navy and after, teaching people not just how to do something but also why. I even go to the extreme of asking what happens if they do not.
My mom comes from a Caribbean background so most Caribbean parents believe kids should be “seen not heard” and follow everything their parent asks of them with no question and if you even think about talking back to them it’s seen as disrespectful.
I think every parent has a different parenting style but I’d much prefer if my mom was more of the laid back type.
My parents were really strict. They only let up once I got older and am now able to support myself and be successful on my own. I hope everything works out for you.
People at any age should always do their own research and question everything especially at a time when the world governments are using covid restrictions to try to kill us and saying it is for our safety when it clearly leads to more deaths. Question everything in life.
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Hmm well they should be taught that even authority figures are human beings and thus prone to make errors in judgement. some even intentionally mislead or lie for their own benefit. so always question authority? They should still be taught to respect them still unless they do things unworthy of respect.
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Anonymous
(36-45)
+1 y
Yeah but they should also be taught how to understand when they’re being manipulated. The people in power are like high level chess players, and most people can barely play checkers. Those people got into positions of power is because they’re machiavellian.
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Anonymous
(36-45)
+1 y
Definitely! I work with kids that have behavioural issues and while we are in a day and age where we believe people need to make their own choices they need some structure and balance and they need to follow what adults tell them to do otherwise we will just end up with a generation that do what they want without any real care for the consequences
Depends on the authority. Some authority we don’t like but it’s there to help us. But I can see how others just exaggerate perfection and don’t give you any room to make mistakes.
Not question 'authority' but to personally VERIFY the veracity and validity of the prevailing paradigm... the sheer belief of a million gullible does NOT over-rule ONE who sees accurately!
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Humans tend to lose their way when they're not being watched and held accountable. We should all keep an eye on those trusted to run things on our behalf. The alternative inexorably becomes they are run for their own benefit.
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I agree with you 100%. Always be skeptical. Don't just believe what people say. Use critical thinking skills to find holes in narratives and ask questions. Distrust authority.
I think kids should be taught that questioning authority can be appropriate but questioning authority just to question it with no real purpose is a dick move
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They should be taught to think critically: "Does this thing I'm being told to do harm me more than not doing it would harm others?", and be reasonable: "Does not being 100% certain wearing a mask will help mean I shouldn't wear a mask?".
Yes a verse from the bible says. There is the difference. The fool believes most anything that he hears, while the prudent man is cautious and skeptical about everything.
Not always and not blindly. Kids should be taught to think critically and when the words or actions of those in authority don't make sense, then they should question authority.
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No disagreement here. Thpugh they need to balance that with being respectful of their elders, which is very much something that's been lost on this generation of young people.
No that's not what I mean. I'm taking grandparents, mothers, fathers.. There are so many times I am out with my wife and I see kids being shitty to their parents.
Kids should be taught to think for themselves and not be mindless sheep like the politicians and media would want them to be
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Anonymous
(30-35)
+1 y
Hell yes I have adhd so I've always been like that biologically. Question the law and the authority but be open minded, make decisions for yourself and do what's right. Wish more people were like me. You are young and what I've seen from you doesn't reflect that. You already think you know shit when you don't
Covid vaccine is safe. The only issue is that people in America are treating it like a political issue which is why we’ve handled COVID horribly as compared to other developed nations
Why must the father make the rules? Why him, and not the mother? Why must there be rules to begin with? Will the rules apply to everyone, or just the children? If just the children, why the double-standard?
@Rachelspiks because the man is the head of the house and not the woman, as simple as that! The wife can share her opinions with her husband and might agree on some rules that they share together...
Usually the rules are made for the kids...
There have to be rules in the house so life can go smooth and the house won't turn into a farm...
@doopayo i'm talking about real men and not some dirty scumbags...
A father will take good care of his daughter, feed her , raise her and protect her but when she does something wrong, she's going to be warned and next step she's going to be punished...
Oh right, "real men". Who might they be, exactly? The daughter will be "punished" when she does something that, in the opinion of the so-called father (more like "abusive tyrant") is "wrong". Punished how? Do tell.
Abusive men can still be the “head of the house” my uncles an abusive psycho that verbally abused his wife constantly but always cries about how she's his wife so she’s beneath him.
Do you know how many men will chant like that and are abusive? In the worst case scenarios the woman is so dependent on him she’s forced to stay in that situation
@Rachelspiks yes it's my opinion, says who? Me, my religion and a lot of other religions and it's practiced in a lot of cultures, also why does it bothers you if your father is the head of the house?
Real men won't abuse their daughters period.
Now about the punishment part well it's for her own good to make her walk on the right path again...
Punishments such as not buying her what she likes, do not give her money, i'll take her cell phone for some time cause she won't be allowed to use it and she's not allowed to go and spend time with friends... etc
These are my punishments and they won't be used until she leaves me no choice...
@doopayo such men shouldn't be the head of their house because it's clear how a man should treat his wife and family and not every man can be the head of the house just cause he's a male...
To verbally abuse the wife, you have to see what the wife have done, you can't blame men everytime such things happens, if he's abusing her verbally and physically without a reason than he should never be the head of the house and deserves to be punished...
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We need to be aware of what an authority figure knows. I will trust a scientist over a politician on science. I will trust an economist over a scientist on macroeconomics. I will trust a religious leader on theology over anyone else.
Yes. This developes necessary critical thinking and independent thinking skills.
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Anonymous
(30-35)
+1 y
Yeah probably, but a lot of people think that they’re questioning authority when actually they’re thinking in exactly the way those in authority want them to, because they’ve been manipulated.
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