“There are such things, sure; but they depend upon the whim, the digestion and the virtue of one or two men, and that is iniquitous. I am opposed to authority, that egg of misery and oppression; I am opposed to it largely for what it does to those who exercise it.”
Post Captain – Patrick O’Brian
Most people got no clue as to why the world around them is what it is.
Not recognizing what works and what doesn’t, they just go about their lives, repeating the good and the bad, without ever knowing which one is which.
A momentary reflection would save them a whole lot of trouble but alas that seldom happens. Or as the saying goes “A stitch in time saves nine.” That’s a good one, eh!
Most world problems, both macro as well as micro, stem from the hierarchical principle.
We are conditioned from our early developmental, formative years to respect, obey, and follow the commands of our parents, elders, figures of authority, people in power, be that small (police, low-grade officials, etc.) or big time (government, rich people, special non-defined elites).
We are told that this is the way it’s always been, and that outside its bounds lies anarchy.
And according to those preaching obeisance to authority, anarchy is chaos.
Well, anarchy is anything but chaos. But that is for another time.
For now, suffice to say that authority is the source of oppression and that in turn makes us all miserable. Therefore, authority spreads misery and causes mayhem.
But wait, haven’t the powers that be always told us that respect for authority and hierarchy is what ensures our survival?!
How can both be true?
To me, it’s clear. They cannot.
Authority is bad. Hierarchy is unnecessary. Power corrupts. People are only good and moral if they lack power over others. The moment you give any individual more power, more agency, more authority, they take it upon themselves to abuse it.
This is a story as old as time. Power has never been used for good.
That being said, why do we feel sad when a boss suddenly passes away? Because we are human. And we feel hurt when someone we barely knew, but who took the time to get to know us from a distance, and perhaps respected and appreciated our work, dies.
That doesn’t detract from the general principle, which is that all power structures are bad.
But it does say volumes about why we tolerate this state of things. And that is because we are good people. Most of us, that is.
And that’s why we put up with bosses, good or bad. Because we are good. But that’s only because we are powerless. Because once we get a bit of authority, a tad more power, we become monsters of iniquity.
And that is why we do not need power structures.
Götterdämmerung 