Invisible Man: Obedience (Brotherhood)

Prompt

The Brotherhood wants to tell the people in Harlem what to think, rather than allow them to draw their own conclusions. The military is also an organization where people are expected to simply obey orders and are not supposed to think for themselves unless they are of an upper rank. School officials expect students to obey rules and do not usually anticipate that a student will think about a rule before complying.

Brainstorm additional situations in which unquestioning obedience is expected. When is it okay to simply expect obedience? When should people be encouraged to think for themselves? How can a person tell when being told not to "think" is an attempt to put down or limit opportunities and actions of a particular group?

Response

Situations involving issues of assumed public safety like natural disasters and terrorist situations require absolute obedience from officials that are (presumably) more knowledgeable than the general public in their field. If someone without the proper training were to act "off the cuff" and possibly endanger others, it is in the best interest of the whole to abide by what those in power instruct them to do, as they have likely been appointed to their position based on their knowledge and/or experience. People should be encouraged to think for themselves in situations that do not involve endangerment, however, because a much smaller group of people will be affected by the decision made than if it was an emergency. A person can tell when they are being oppressed by another group by being told not to "think" if other persons in similar situations have been allowed to exercise free will without harmful consequences (or even benefits for doing so).