We explain what obedience is and in what areas it is important. Also, what are the levels of obedience.
What is obedience?
Obedience can be defined as the willingness to execute the instructions that are given, especially when imparted by some figure of authority. authority. Its opposite term would become rebellion.
The word obedience derives from the verb to obey, which in turn is an inheritance from Latin. The Romans used the verb oboedire with the same meaning, verb formed by the voices ob- (“against”) and I will listen (“listen”), since they associated certain mental abilities to each of the five senses.
Thus, to the ear they associated the intellectual capacity, that is, to receive and process information, even if it opposes the paradigms minds that we already have. Thus, today we have the verbs to obey for those who listen, understand and fulfill a mandate; and disobey for those who do the opposite.
We usually talk about obedience in different areas of life, generally in those in which there is a clearly identified authority, such as in the relationship between a dog and its master ("my father's dog is very obedient"), in the family ("Your son is too disobedient"), or the military ("disobedience in the battalion is punished with the dungeon"), to name a few examples.
On the other hand, obedience is linked both to the imposition of tasks or mandates, and to the prohibition of certain actions.
most religions monotheists, for example, demand from their faithful a high degree of obedience to God, that is, to the divine mandate that serves as a code moral from his doctrine. For this reason, the metaphor of the flock is often used for the faithful and of the shepherd for the priest, since he must guide them to salvation, according to the divine mandate.
Obedience Levels
Obedience, however, is not a total concept, but can occur in different degrees, called levels here, depending on the margin of commitment or rebellion with which the person follows the instructions received. Thus, we can talk about:
- blind obedience. The one who never for a moment questions whether it is right or wrong to do what is ordered, but rather follows the instructions received unquestioningly.
- Due obedience. That which is expected of certain subordinate positions in the military or other institutions of hierarchy very rigorous. It is a form of blind obedience, only protected by a particular code of conduct, or by institutions.
- solidarity obedience. That which an individual feels regarding the actions of a group to which he belongs, even when the actions committed are contrary to what he thinks.
- Anticipated obedience. The one that an individual feels before a mandate is formulated, only from the expectations that he intuits in his superiors.
- Voluntary or rational obedience. That which an individual professes through an instruction, a mandate after having processed it and reflected rationally, that is, only when he is convinced of the need to execute that action.