Is_Obedience_an_Overated_Virtue

Name: Hu XueYan Class: 411 Register No.: 10 Revision of Sec 3 Exam Essay 2009 Qn4 In modern society, obedience is a rare sight observed. For teenagers of ages 12-18, being obedient would strictly equate to being a loser. At home, we defy our parents, repeating the exact opposite of what they expect of us; in school, we tend to break the millions of school rules or every single class rule that ever existed. Indeed, obedience to the new generation is the worst nightmare. However, I have to ask, do we have to defy obedience of it real value' The majority of us trample on obedience due to misconceptions of its meaning. Obedience does not mean to conduct every action our parents or teachers expect of us, but to listen to the past experiences of our elders and make the right choice. This does not make us “mommy’s boy” and we definitely do not follow the exact path our parents laid for us. We are making our own choices while having our elders’ opinions as a guide. Personally, I believe that obedience should be observed. Our parents and teachers have lived far longer than we have. Hence, they would have accumulated more social experiences, which can be very useful to us when we are making an important decision. Also, when we meet similar difficulties, they can have a better solution. If we just listen to them for once, our lives might even be changed tremendously, leading us to a brighter future. For those that choose to be defiant to seem “cool”, they are the ones that really lose out. However, our society nurtures defiance. Instead of obedience, teenagers regard defiance as a virtue. One can expect anything of a child but obedience. Few would observe the importance of obedience. However, we can observe a trend. For those that are able to enter good schools or be successful in life, would have at some point be obedient and take others’ advice. To cite an example, all Nanyang students would have listened to their parents or teachers to work hard at a certain point. On the other hand, those that simply refuse to listen to others’ advice are those that finally get eliminated. Without a doubt, obedience is an important virtue. Though often ignored in modern society, we cannot deny its value. For those wanting to be successful in life, I will suggest for them to be obedient from this very day.