Commonly adopted social norms play an essential role in governing certain principles in civil society, like maintaining the status quo. Social norms are appreciatively important; however, they are harmful to people and society differently. If all kinds of social norms remain subject to no debate, they usually become powerful to perpetuate unfairness and aspects of exploitation. For instance, in “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem,” Fromm highlights the general social norms that human beings have broken to realize their freedom, evolution, and creation of peace (1). Human beings will not expand in their knowledge and civilization, and there will be less light on creating peace amongst themselves due to total submission to social norms. Besides, in “The Case for Black Joy,” Roderique helps to better understand the disobedience of social norms through the vivid elaboration of blacks’ enslaved minds to the white authority over black self-peace (2). He says that ‘authoritative conscience only satisfies the master over his slaves while slaves’ disobedience bears freedom.
Autonomy carries powers that control individuals’ thinking and actions, given how they utilize their freedom. An environment that propagates autonomy to the highest degrees of illusion creates necessary and desired freedom among the people to do whatever they want. For instance, Roderique has addressed autonomy in exercising their freedom in whatever things make joy in their surroundings (3). For this reason, autonomy has created the freedom that has enabled people of color to their artistic attribution of Black Panther despite resistance from the whites. Likewise, Fromm highlights people having the freedom to discern what results in their benefit and disobey general societal norms (3). Thus, autonomy helps people get exposure to light of matters like peace and civilization.
Reframing an experience is an ordinary course in the human generation to generation concerning outcomes of several incidents. From Fromm’s scenario, he has promoted the reframing of disobedience that has led to many advantages for human beings beginning from the mythical creation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Human beings disobeyed to get endorsed to their light and become wholly dependent on themselves and create civilized and peaceful lives in their societies (1). On the other hand, Roderique’s reading helps to highlight a sense of reframing in an experience that arises from what she posts on Facebook. A high school acquaintance tends to resist her opinion of her joy for black heritage (1). Hence, reframing experience creates a sense of airing and popularizing the essence of black recognition amidst white supremacy.
Disobedience is considered a virtue in many circumstances and results in desirable outcomes for individuals under varied conditions. If disobedience is viewed positively, it has greatly created a visible impact on the human race since the onset of its existence. Disobedience has created freedom for individuals in various circumstances that are worthy to note. For instance, disobedience has created freedom by eliminating submission concerning slavery (Fromm 1). Roderique has also framed disobedience as a virtue in creating a state of self-joy through mass interaction and association that draws a line of boundary between white supremacy and white inferiority. Hence, disobedience is a virtue that creates group and individual beneficial gains.
Joy is perhaps, the ultimate goal of every human being in their daily activities and interaction with others. For instance, Roderique describes the nature of the deserved joy human beings are entitled to have in praising and appreciating whatever makes them happy, free from influence and resistance (1). Thus, all human beings need to experience joy because it helps them find value and appreciation in their cultural aspects and freedom to associate and communicate. On the other hand, Fromm says that slaves have no joy because they are submissive and under the oppression of their masters. He says that obeying means becoming submissive to authority and exploitative environments (Fromm 3). For this reason, it is considered essential to experience joy because there is oppression in the absence of joy and freedom that comes with joy.
Works Cited
Fromm, Erich. “Disobedience as a psychological and moral problem.” E. Fromm, On Disobedience. Why Freedom Means Saying “No” to Power, HarperCollins, 2010, pp. 1-12.
Roderique, Hadiya. “The Case for Black Joy.” FASHION Magazine, 2021, Web.