Albert Einstein once said,“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”
Our younger years, amongst other things, are a seemingly perpetual hunt for an ultimate truth which is only brought to an end by the depletion of knowledge that is attainable to us. Perhaps this is why many of us find subjects such as science and theology so interesting. They are avenues through which we can continue our hunt for the truth. When we stop seeking new truths, then it can only mean that we have attained everything that matters to us, or we have fallen to a place where nothing can possibly matter anymore.
So, for the children whose whole world is bounded by the lines set by the figures of authority who surround them, the attainment of a personal truth is often as simple as crossing those boundaries. Thus, the familiar concern posed by rebellion and disobedience is raised.
There are two sides to this coin. On one side, there are the distressed parents and teachers who seem to be spending more and more time fighting their children rather than raising them. On the other side, there are the children who are eager to learn and experience the world, only to be met with brick walls imposed upon them by figures of authority.
Authority is a difficult burden to shoulder – both to those who hold it and to those who are guided by it. Nevertheless, one of those truths that we may gradually encounter is that authority is necessary for life. Without authority, none of us would learn the simple art of pausing long enough to respect the world that surrounds us. Without authority, we may never learn the skill of listening, which is the key to discovering the truths that we seek every single day. Everything that we wish to learn during our lives are either products of the minds of those more wise than us, or experiences that they already have. Giving up your ability to examine and act with free will may be the same as giving up your ability to see the truth. However, blinding yourself with hatred towards something as intrinsic as authority is not much different from the former.
Now, there is an element of compromise that is required to soothe our young people and children as they slowly learn how to accept authority. In the adult world, we expect transparency and mutual respect from our own leaders. Without these, we become unhappy and irritated. We must afford our children these same privileges when we lead them at home and in schools. After all, they are only smaller versions of ourselves.
If we find ourselves wondering why our generation seems so intent on following trends and absorbing information without questioning it, then perhaps we must examine their socialisation process, when they were rewarded for simply following the rules without questioning them. The enemy of truth is not authority, but the creation of a system where the only ones who can survive are those who obey authority without question.
