Authority-I'm having trouble

[Grand Touring]

Lately I've been going through some legal issues, and I've found myself having less and less respect for authority or an authoritative figure. Any tips on how to gain respect for cops, lawyers, p.o. officers etc? Although it's contrary to how I feel now, I think gaining some understanding could only help. As someone in a lesser-of position right now, it may sound like an excuse, but I really feel I am a victim of circumstance. This is making me very bitter toward anyone who was insecure enough to obtain the desire to be 'better' than everyone. Thoughts..

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Learn your rights as a citizen. Be respectful towards law enforcement strictly because anything short of it is a reason for them to be suspicious of you.

Sure there are plenty of law abiding citizens who don't like the police but they know the same thing to be true.

 

[ektamine]

I think you just have to look at each authoritative figure as the person behind the badge, and decide on an individual basis if they are respectable or not.

What I have come to realize after being tangled up in the justice system my whole life for using drugs is that its the system that is faulty, not the individuals. Most of the times I've been arrested, pretty much every one along the line seems to disagree with the way my sort of crimes get handled, but since its an established and inflexible system, all they can do is do what they are told.

My current P.O. himself was very cool, he doesn't really agree with any of the ways we deal with drug criminals, he said himself 'You're not a threat to society, your just a person with a problem thats caught up in the wrong system. But its the only system we have right now'. Which is an incredibly great statement to hear from the law enforcement themselves.

Thats not to say there aren't real assholes out there working in law enforcement, but isn't that to be expected? Any easy-to-get job that promises power/control over your fellows is bound to attract the power-hungry. I have encountered the most of these types as just plain old front-line police officers.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Fake it til you make it or just fake it. A lot of polite types of interaction are not about being sincere so much as making social interactions smooth. A respectful demeanor towards some authority might be sincere but when it isn't its about keeping your self out of trouble and making the interaction as brief and inconsequential as possible.

I'm going to try this in Second Opinion. Homeless------------->SO

 

[thujone]

Lately I've been going through some legal issues, and I've found myself having less and less respect for authority or an authoritative figure. Any tips on how to gain respect for cops, lawyers, p.o. officers etc? Although it's contrary to how I feel now, I think gaining some understanding could only help. As someone in a lesser-of position right now, it may sound like an excuse, but I really feel I am a victim of circumstance. This is making me very bitter toward anyone who was insecure enough to obtain the desire to be 'better' than everyone. Thoughts..

Understanding does help. I'm not a cop or lawyer but I have occupied various positions of authority and it's a lot easier to sincerely respect others in similar lines of work once you realize how much fucking bullshit people in authority actually have to deal with. You think the laws for regular people are tough? The laws that cops have to follow are even tougher and they are constantly under the pressure of having to police a society that by-and-large doesn't like them. Once you genuinely understand that you understand why they stick together and will defend each other when the newspapers call a cop dirty and people who have no idea what it's like to be in their position start calling out for blood.

 

[rangrz]

You can find respect for certain individuals, based on their personal traits, who occupy a position of authority. (i.e. I find a lot of judges earn respect with their finely tuned bullshit detectors that cut though the lies of both the cops/prosecution and the defense; to arrive at something more truthful.)
You can respect the ideals of the office, regardless of if the person is dingbat or not. I.e. supposedly there to protect and keep order, even if the person in question is a wanker who abuses their authority.

You can respect the power they have- re: able to fuck your life up, and thus decide to avoid conflict with them.

 

[alasdairm]

This is making me very bitter toward anyone who was insecure enough to obtain the desire to be 'better' than everyone.

so everybody in a position of authority is there because they are insecure? every single one of them?

you don't think it's possible that some of them got there by other means and for other reasons? if so, what conclusion do you draw?

alasdair

 

[badandwicked]

It's called being pragmatic - taking the practical approach rather than the logical or idealistic one.
Some find this impossible to do with authority figures which part of me admires, but ultimately if you have a goal or aim in sight you may be able to reconcile that the end justifies the means. These people can and will affect your life.