Against obedience

Those who have the courage to disobey not only free themselves from perceived authorities but also perceive people as alive and compassionate. Arno Gruen illustrates how the culture of obedience can dehumanize and what paths lead out of the cycle of subordination: a liberating plea for more humanity. Long before we can speak and our thinking becomes organized, we must learn to be obedient and suppress our feelings. In all areas of life, our civilization enforces a reflexive obedience. At the same time, it rewards a groupthink that makes self-determined, free thinking impossible. The significant psychoanalyst Arno Gruen astutely exposes the pathology of voluntary servitude: we do not see ourselves as obedient and fail to recognize that idealizing the oppressor gives them power over us.