Obedience - not

I was giving a seminar on personality development and had reached the point where I discuss the way different people behave under stress. People first meet stress out of their strongest abilities - that is, they try to do more of what they're skilled at doing. But if the stressful situation is prolonged or too intense, they shift into what's called the 'shadow' - that is, the less developed and less skilled side of their nature. Some people, under the influence of shadow, will resort to what I used to call 'rebellious conformity to the rules;' these are people who have an innate dislike of authority figures, and if authority has pushed its luck then the stress reaction is to say 'All right, if that's what you want, I'll obey you to the absolute letter of the law and we'll see what chaos ensues.'

I used to use the term rebellious conformity to the rules: that is, until Chris, who'd been in the Army, told us that he'd been had up on a charge of 'malicious obedience.'

Thank you, Chris ...

Take care,

Valerie.