how to smoke a banana peel

"people in positions of authority are prepared to lie to you in order to control your lives." - distinguished visitor to room 120

and he would know, having spent years and years rubbing shoulders with some of society's most powerful and influential men and women. his point was simple: don't believe everything you're told, especially by those who claim to have your best interests at heart. when you're told to do something, always respond with "why?" when you're told that something is fact, always respond with, "how do you know?" when you're told that something is good for you, always respond with, "according to who?" blind obedience is the antithesis of an enlightened citizenry. for i, too, have witnessed myriad examples of persons in positions of authority preaching their dogma as reality to those under their tutelage. their objectives for doing so may be as diverse as their preachings, but one thing remains uniform: the desire to impose their will on those less assured than they. yet i certainly don't expect my charges to support every position i advocate, just as i don't support every position advocated by my charges. the truth is that i don't really know the truth, but rather only my understanding and interpretation of the truth at any given point in time. that said, i have never held a position that i knowingly believed to be wrong. why would i? but i am just smart enough to recognize that i may not be smart enough to know all of the answers all of the time. (most of the time, yes, but all of the time...?) and i assume that my charges are bright enough to recognize that my teachings are no more than mere expressions of my personal experiences and perspectives dressed up as sound pedagogical delivery. if not, then at least all has been laid bare by this latest entry.

"see, man, that's the difference between us. you think we're fighting, i think we're finally talking." - jerry maguire (1996)

just one man's opinion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKgOe1Rl8YY