I considered throwing the system of question selection out the window and simply picking a question, but decided not to do so in favor of maintaining my organized system of chaos. I added it in as usual, and it happened to be the one that ended up getting selected after all! w007!
Also, I added a couple of new categories for questions, music and favorites, in order to lighten up the questions a little. It might work, although the deep discussions are one of the biggest reasons I'm doing the blog, so we'll see how I like them in the long run. I might decide to dive deep into specific songs instead of simply floating the surface, but for now the questions are pretty simple.
Anyway, I have been thinking about Patriarchy and systemic methodology a lot over the last couple of days (triggered by a discussion about arranged marriages in my Hindi class), and I realized that our society could have a fundamental issue that goes to the heart of the way we act as individuals, and this comes from us forsaking Loyalty.
Now, I don't really want to get into my theory too much in the question, I'll leave it for the answer, but the basics come down to this: Society is forged in the furnace of joint loyalty: a chief owes his people leadership and protection, they owe him food and pretty girls. A father owes his children leadership and education, they owe him honor and dignity in his old age. A priest owes his flock leadership and spiritual guidance, they owe him monetary assistance and um... choir boys? Ok, maybe not the best example.
Here's the question: What lines of loyalty do you have in your life right now? Now, I'm specifically talking about societal expectations and the idea that you don't just owe a favor, but that you owe the individual or organization something more, something to do with honor, something that surpasses mere legality or convenience. Do you owe anyone?
Here are my loyalties:
ReplyDeleteschool
work
family
friends
dancers
church
i was SO EXCITED for a patriarchy question, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm loyal to my dog. Call it confused priorities, but he's kinda first. Then Ben :). Then my parents, brother, and friends. After that? Well, a looooooong way after is... um... uh... books?
But none of those are societal expectations. Personal expectations, yes. I've spent a lot of time on societal expectations- the degree, the house, the makeup and hair, the piety and the tithes, and frankly, it doesn't do jack for me. I still pay attention to remain not-a-drain on society, sure, but I'm not paying in emotionally.
My loyalties as far as social expectations? I don't know. I can't really feel what society wants from me because I don't understand it.
ReplyDeleteFrom what my values tell me, I owe my family, husband and mom and step dad, my brother you know. I owe the pets I love and take care of, my ferrets and cats, I owe them love and physical needs. I owe those who have given me favors that go beyond material needs. People who have touched my life, who have helped me through hard times, both worldly and spiritually.
not sure if that's what you're looking for but again, I've never understood society's standards because I was never raised to pay attention to them. My whole family is unconventional...
My loyalty is to my Lord, myself, my husband, children and their families, job, fellow man, and the Constitution of my country. From day to day priority and interest and activity may shift, but that's the general idea.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting no one has touched on the social loyalty we all are a part of. Some call it the honor system, or perhaps the golden rule?
ReplyDeleteEvery day we all show loyalty to our societies expectations and rules. If there is no cop around, do we drive on the wrong side of the road? If no one is looking at the store, do we pocket the item of choice?
Now, of course not everyone lives by these rules, but most of us do. We upstanding citizens show loyalty to society every day by living that.