I'd be more proud of the rebellious students. The goal is for them to think independently and be independent, free members of society. It's like teenage children - it can be a real headache for parents, but you do you really want your teenagers to be obedient and compliant?
>but you do you really want your teenagers to be obedient and compliant?
Yes... what a ridiculous rhetorical question, with all due respect.
There is a thread of democratic myth that has been abused into dust that holds that there is high virtue in being disobedient and non-compliant. But the heart of that myth is always centered in somehwat rare (in the context of today) totalitarianism or "dark age" mythological social ignorance.
When in reality the key to both learning and life success, translating to happiness, is obedience and compliance with things that are mostly good and mostly true. Whereas predators, of all kinds, often rely on peddling untruths to the reflexively disobedient.
There are exceptions, but the lesson is that they are far from the rule.
It's hard to understand why authority or oppression is somehow virtuous or trustworthy today.
First, they are human institutions and will be corrupt to varying degrees (though that degree matters greatly); teenagers should learn and all adults should know that the feet of these monuments are clay, and that we can build better - especially the next generation, with a fresh perspective, less vested interest, and more energy.
Second, what almost defines today, this moment in history, is the rise of authoritarian oppression and the embrace of it (which I believe includes the comment above, though not necessarily the commenter), and the culture of abuse of authority and brazen embrace of it - in political leaders, business leaders, etc. These things, far from being obsolete concerns, are now a cult - rather than freedom and hope for all, people embrace hate, cruelty, corruption, and dictators.
Look at our world, look what we are building, look at the catastrophe the institutions have produced and the brazen disregard shown by a generation of adults.
Finally, our world was built by people who disrepected authority; authority is those who did so and succeeded. That's where almost every democracy and all our freedoms came from.
> ridiculous ... dust
Rather than disrespecting authority, your comment disrespects your peers and try to abuse them, through contempt and ridicule, into complying with the authority. The comment sounds to me like the person who, threatened with the power of a bully, goes along with them, tries to fit into their power structure, and ingratiates themselves by attacking peers who don't conform.
I am not sure when being "Rebellious/Undisciplined/Bad-behaviour" became equated with "Independent-minded" and thus ipso facto "better than" being "Obedient/Disciplined".
By definition, youngsters have a lot to learn which can only happen in a obedient and disciplined environment.
In some places in the world, the answer is clearly yes. I don’t think filial piety has a gigantic escape clause for when the kid is a teenager.
Letting teens run wild for whatever reason (because they will be more interesting adults? because they have a right to?) is a western idea. That’s exactly how I grew up and have a lot of tales to tell, but I also underutilized my capacity for learning during that time.
> because they will be more interesting adults? because they have a right to?
That's just belittling and avoiding the serious issues. Very teenager-like! :)
First, nobody said healthy teens can't study. But it's essential they question and push back against what they study. If they don't learn that, their education has failed on a basic level - that is where all that knowledge came from; that's what will prepare them to be adults who can utilize and produce knowledge themselves, rather than relying on others. What more is the source of SV - or the entire scientific and business enterprises - than those skills.
Also, there is far more to learn than schoolwork for growing into fully self-actualized, mature, free people in a free society. Most critically, the most important knowledge is self-knowledge, and that is not learned by studying authorites, but mostly by experimenting and studying yourself.
> I also underutilized my capacity for learning during that time
None of us know what would happen on the road not taken. You wouldn't be the same person. For one thing, it's not realistic to compare anyone to some image of perfection and then say they could have done better.
