Obedience: RH'L6

The Story so Far

Quest for Pleasure-RH'L1 is self-centric and demands the discovery of what gratifies.

Quest for Meaning-RH'L2 is socio-centric and demands the development of purposes and projects that feel personally worthwhile.

Quest for Enlightenment-RH'L3 is self-centric and demands the discovery of reality in a way that can benefit others who take heed.

Quest for Salvation-RH'L4 is socio-centric and demands the development of ways to rescue and aid others in dire need.

Quest for Creation-RH'L5 is self-centric and demands the discovery of what should be willed into existence and how.

Obedience: The Quest that Follows

Function:   To fulfil socially specified obligations.
i.e. happiness comes from a feeling of inner comfort based on the certainty of doing right.

Society is built on a variety of institutions and organizations with rules and duties that depend upon obedience. The most basic of these is the family, the most common are organizations, the most enduring are natural moral institutions like religion and government. Within these bodies, there are different roles, rules, rituals and expectations, all of which are wholly independent of yourself. But the requisite obedience to these occurs only if the system is freely accepted.

So: The purpose of life is «to obey freely and willingly».

To an outsider and non-follower of the Obedience Quest, this might make life seem like endless subjugation, even if the role and duties are freely chosen.

We must ask why the Obedience Quest seems natural and attractive for strong personalities, who have no need to hide and do not fear freedom or self-reliance. A possible answer is as follows:

Our childhood helplessness prepares us all for dependence on a benevolent authority. On maturity, it would be natural that some develop a humility and a social concern. This will be based on a natural awareness of being insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and the limitations of purely personal knowledge and judgements. Reliance on the wisdom of a culture, or of great sages, or of divine revelation, then seems fitting. Enduring institutions with their rituals and obligations ensure protection of this wisdom and the wider society that depends on it.

NOTE: The highest Quest can also be described as guiding and requiringObedience, but it does not see happiness/meaning as rooted in just obeying.

How is Obedience a Quest?

Obedience within a structure or organization is a reassuring experience for many, and possibly a psychological necessity for some. However, experiencing obedience as the deepest source of happiness and meaning is another matter entirely. Those individuals who are attracted to a structured life for non-Quest reasons are not always as obedient as they might be, and they may mature and prefer less structured environments.

For those on the Obedience Quest, however, there is no need for maturation, no final satisfaction, no time when obedience is not desirable. There will always be a search for new rules and new social or ethical duties. Changes from one role to another may be based on social evolution, or personal changes.

Correspondence to Root Hierarchy: Obedience depends on Purpose-RHL6 because it is built around roles-PH6G2⁴ which are purposive, conformity which is an ethical aspiration (PH'6), adherence to prescriptions, duties, laws and other ethical rules (PH"6), and the acceptance of ethical authorities-sPH"6. It is also natural to hold or adopt the value system-PH6L6 that legitimates the rituals, rules and authorities that govern your obedience.

• Jump to how the Obedience Quest works in practice.

---

• Move on to the next, final and highest Quest: Spirituality.

Originally posted: 8-Jun-2012. Last updated: 10-Aug-2012.