Discussion Feelings Toward Authority Figures

[Celerity]

A comment in another thread got me thinking about my run-ins with authority figures. I would say I have a love/hate relationship with them that has diminished in intensity over time.

During preschool and elementary/primary, I had a lot of run-ins with teachers. I also tend to experience conflict with bosses and, to a lesser extent, doctors and therapists.

What about you? Would you consider yourself a contrarian?

 

[Largeletters]

Like you, I have a love/hate relationship. I don't particularly like authority but in certain instances, I can tolerate it. I think what I hate the most is authority figures abusing their power, and using their position to take advantage of vulnerable people. So many do this... teachers, bosses, doctors, therapists, etc.

 

[goat]

Having a authority position don't prevent you from being a sleazy motherfucker.
I had very bad experiences with doctors, lawyers and once with a boss too.
But I also had very good ones.
I don't think they're mostly there with the noble mission to help and guide you. But I also don't think they're out there to get you.
It's like that Björk song, human behavior is really confusing
And no matter your position in society

 

[Life_and_Death]

i dont like them. individually i can make an evaluation of each person. but as a whole LMFAO.
parental figures - abused me
school teachers - "well i guess im not coming back to school because i dont have parents" i went from As to 0s and they didnt even think to look into any of that. it would have been a major red flag to those that cared. also i got kicked out of school because i was talking to a friend and realized my "father" had molested me so i wanted to use the bathroom so i could cry and they said no. (they didnt have the backstory as to why i wanted to go to the bathroom but still.) i literally got kicked out of school because my parents abused me.
cops - they abuse me and im suicidal "ok have fun going home" they did shit fucking all. serve and protect my ass, oh wait you didnt

 

[TooConscious]

Anyone who desires authority is egotistical, the only authority who actually do any good is the police, preventing say about 10% of all injustices? More than nothing.... They may be doinh more harm than good but I know some of them actually believe they are doing good and went in with the best intentions...
Alot are corrupt though and as I said narcissm is rife.

 

[FuneralCry]

I have nothing against them if they are doing their job properly and helping people. I have had run ins with teachers when I used to go to school, and I was told off for hardly doing anything wrong. So, it just depends how the authority figure acts really.

 

[Desperdición]

I love authority figures if they really know how to do their job and don't screw anyone, the problem that is generally attributed to authority is actually a human problem and is improved with more authority, authority figures who know less should be watched by those who know more and they should have better incentives to do their job. Authority in the private sector has shown that it works better than in the public sector.

 

[littlelungs]

I've always had issues with authority to some degree or another. My mom suspected Oppositional Defiant Disorder when I was really little, and I also had anger and abandonment issues on top of that (probably due to parents divorcing, I can't think of any other reason why I suddenly got like that), so she took me to a children's psychologist for it when I was about 4.

Then shit really hit the fan a little later on and it just made everything worse. I perceived adults and anyone who was supposed to be a "protector" as people who were just going to end up abusing their power and, as a result, end up hurting me as well, so I REALLY hated them, always had my guard up and was ready to fight back if I felt like I had to, even if it seemed completely out of proportion from other people's point of view.

Idk... a lot of shit was happening all at once and as such I had to figure out ways to adapt and cope – all while my brain was in pretty critical stages of development – so there are certain things that are now more or less ingrained in my psyche, including my issues with authority. I've been trying for years to unlearn some of them for the sake of making life just a tiny bit easier, but to no avail.

 

[Kattt]

I was assaulted by a doctor when i was about 8
Since then, I've hated authoritative figures.
Including a punch and a stab to police, an irate rant with a judge, a series of threatening prose regarding a prison officer

 

[sserafim]

I had an ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) phase when I was a kid. I talked back to and defied teachers in elementary school. My mom sent me to a therapist or some other professional for it. I also had a "pattern of school refusal" (this is taken straight from my psych eval lol). Once in high school, I skipped history class on my mom's birthday. My history teacher told my mom, and she got super mad and sad. I don't think I ever skipped class after that. I was looking at my psych report, and the ODD part on the graphs was high, but I wasn't formally diagnosed with it.

 

[trashprincess]

Utter contempt, obsessive infatuation, or complete indifference.

If they're completely toxic, I hate them

If they're devoid of toxicity entirely, I think they're boring

But if they're somewhere in between, I go absolutely crazy for them

 

[sserafim]

If they're devoid of toxicity entirely, I think they're boring

But if they're somewhere in between, I go absolutely crazy for them

Why?

 

[trashprincess]

Why?

It's the way I was raised

My parents were "somewhere in between". They're both very toxic, but also very manipulative and gaslighty and so that resulted in:

1) They sucked, and being denied good role models set me up to forever want a new role model.

2) Because they sucked, toxic role models are the only kind my brain understands, and so it's the only thing it 'likes'.

3) If they're too overtly toxic they'll scare me away since the 'role models ' in my life made efforts to downplay/conceal their toxicity.

Also I hate myself and think I'm garbage. Normal, healthy people make me really uncomfortable because I just obsess over conforming to their standards of decency. I don't like to be mean to people, but I'm very irrational and that doesn't fit in with normal people very well. I can't control my emotions as well as others either.

So I just feel like I 'fit in' more with toxic people. And probably as a form of self harm too. Basically good things freak me out so I seek out bad things because I can convince myself I'm okay with them, for a time...

 

[Final_Choice]

I don't feel anything towards them. When I was younger I always followed the rules as I was taught, no matter what, even if I knew deep down that what they were doing was wrong I still blindly let them do whatever they want because they are the authority figure. Back then the rules were rules to everyone except the authority figure, the authority figure was above the rules and anything they said goes, and I did anything I was asked to do.

Nowadays I don't care about any of that, I do what I want and don't do what I don't want based on myself and my own reasons. Don't have any negative or positive feelings towards someone in such a position, if they are taking advantage of their power then I obviously do hold judgement against them, but because of what they are doing and not because of their position of power.

 

[Forever Sleep]

My upbringing means I usually follow the rules but, I'm a rebel at heart. I also don't automatically trust a lot of authority figures. I think there's so much corruption, abuse of power and narcissism at work.

In most cases, I will comply as far as I need to but more than that- they'll need to prove via their actions that they're not corrupt arseholes- then, they'll gain my respect and loyalty.

 

[Kit1]

Though I am fairly complaint - brilliant at masking due to the autism. Reality is that I dread any authority figures - the 5.5 years that I lived with my bolirth parents (aged from 5 or 6) was filled with physical, emotional, psychological and verbal aggression (can still hear the screaming after all these years) and was sexually abused throughout childhood by so many people who were authority figures. Even now when someone (especially women) raises their voices, I automatically dissociate though will remain functional.

Strangely I am in a job role for the past 24 years in what would be considered to be an authoritative role and often clients, colleagues (including people I manage) talk about how soft I am in my speech and relationship with everyone. I still cannot accept that one human being should be allowed to have authority over another human being - just plain wrong and every day when I start work, I feel privileged and humbled tonserve so many people. Just struggle with that concept of authority.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I don't like any of them