<p>Sometimes it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claim to be true. Although some respect for authority is, no doubt, necessary in order for any group or organization to function, questioning the people in charge - even if they are experts or leaders in their fields - makes us better thinkers. It forces all concerned to defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones. Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought and put an end to wrong actions.</p>
<p>Assignment: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?</p>
<p>Essay:</p>
<p>It is said that Bad leadership equals poor communication. This is indeed as true as it sounds. A leader can be an expert in his or her field, but like every other individual can sometimes make mistakes. Thus, skepticism is necessary. It is important to sometimes question the people in authority about their ideas and decisions to make sure those ideas and decisions are on the right track.</p>
<p>Even experts may act selfishly. This means if the people are uneducated, or have little knowledge of the law, experts will be tempted to take advantage of them. This is illustrated in George Orwellsbook, Animal Farm, in which the Pigs took absolute control to run the farm while the other animals, naïve and clueless, obeyed them out of fear of ending up starving and homeless. Clearly, the pigs had formed a corrupt autocracy at the farm in order to exploit the other animals labor in collaboration with humans.</p>
<p>When authorities exploit the people, they are sometimes too apathetic to do anything about it. In most of developing countries,bribery is very common because the people are apathetic and politically unengaged. For example, in Vietnam, most drivers who are stopped by traffic police would not demand to know what traffic law they had broken. In fact, police in Vietnam often simply make up a traffic violation in order to collect a fine from drivers who do not want to ask questions or simply do not want to get involved with thel aw.</p>
<p>A leader should not be omnipotent. If people give a leader too much authority, they will not be able to stop him. This occurred in Germany in 1934, when Adolf Hitler became the supreme leader of the German Nazi government and directed rearmament of Germany and invasion in Poland in 1939, resulting in the outbreak of World War II and burying thousands of people under blood and weapons. His dictatorship was unstoppable until 1945 when Germany had been forced onto the defensive and suffered a series of escalating defeats. Nazi Germany was a perfect example of a nation that failed to question, where nobody could speak out against the government for fear of being killed.
Another example in our current world is China, a nation that has invested heavily in economic growth and its military. China has already raised fears that it is planning an invasion of its neighbors by taking control of some contiguous territories, jeopardizing international security in the process. Worse, the Chinese government tries to convince their citizens that the Chinese are superior to people of other nations. This utterly wrong idea has helped give many Chinese people adversarial ideas about their relationship with the rest of the world. It is too late for us to prevent China from challenging Asia and the world by drawing prevocational maritime borders on its maps, claiming disputed territories belong to them. This has drawn neighboring countries into an ongoing international conflict. Personally, I think if people in both Germany and China had been more skeptical about their governments policies, this would have put an end to their governments wrong actions.</p>
<p>Questioning authority can also prevent errors due to simple carelessness. For example, patients should ask their doctors clearly about the advantages of treatments or the dosage of prescribed medicines.Even a professional doctor can sometimes make mistakes. Asking questions can help the doctor to realize his or her mistake and help the patient to avoid side effects.</p>
<p>Beyond its benefits to any individual, having doubts about persons in authority can also be good for the community as a whole. In history, this attitude played an important role in the development of modern civilization. It should be considered an important obligation of citizens in society today.</p>
<p>Thank you so much</p>