Just following orders
Nobody “just follows orders”. You take action because you reason to yourself that it’s the right thing to do. Is it right because you agree with the intention? Is it right because the consequences of following the orders outweigh the consequences of not? Is it right because you wholeheartedly trust the one giving the orders? Is it right because you have no alternative action to offer as a better order to give? Whatever the reasoning, you took action because you agreed to.
“Following orders” is not just a political/ social statement, it’s a reflection of the core of who you are. Are you taking ownership of your character and your actions or are you waiting for others to dictate your thoughts and behaviours?
Are you waiting for someone to instruct you on how to improve your physical health? When did we relinquish our authority regarding our own body? I know when food makes me queasy, I know when I avoid exercise, I know the reasons that I don’t sleep. And since I know, it’s up to me to do something about it. Relying on doctors, trainers, pharmaceuticals to fix my problems without engaging and attempting to solve my problems myself, is as good as just “following orders”. Who knows if their advice is correct, who knows if the side-effects are worth it? Your body is yours, and only yours, for the rest of your life; be involved in taking care of it.
Are you waiting for someone to affirm your qualities or emotional state of mind? Even if people have the best of intentions, they are not capable of giving you the affirmation you seek in the timely requirements that you desire. And if they don’t have the best of intention, then you are in danger of being emotionally (or otherwise) hurt by someone to whom you’ve yielded the control of your emotion. You know what you’re doing, you are the one that can monitor how your actions affect the people around you and how the actions of the people around you make you feel. You know how you prefer to feel, either by remembering how you were when things were better or identifying how other people deal with things better. Leaving others to affirm and inspire you is as good as “following orders”. And how can you be sure that they’re right anyway? They’re likely to be struggling with their own self-worth. You can accept advice, but not instructions; take action to be emotionally resilient, independent of how other people perceive you to be.
Are you waiting for someone to tell you what to think about certain people? And even if you’re not “waiting”, are you accepting their account without question? And when you accept and act upon their opinion, what do you gain from it? And whatever you gain from it, how can you guarantee your social status in the eyes of the entity whose instructions you are following? Better to listen to someone who offers reasons to love others who you do not love, than to someone who instructs you to hate someone you do not hate. Qualifications, oratory, physical presentations are nothing if the message is to hurt a person (or a group of people) you previously had no qualms with. Just “following orders” to forcefully conform others to an idea, oftentimes not even your own idea, will expose you as a coward worthy of the inevitable revulsion that will follow. Be better than those who love to hate, love to love your fellow humans.
“I was just following orders” is a pitiful excuse for someone who is avoiding responsibility and who is not willing to take up ownership of their life or their actions. If there wasn’t a part of you that agreed with the “orders”, be it because they are aligned with your views or because you view them as the lesser of other evils, you wouldn’t go a long with them. Find your reasons, then find a good way to bring them to fruition. Be the one that cares for you most, be the one that affirms your value and be the one that embraces diverse people no matter their differing opinions. Be the one that makes this world a better place.