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I feel like, the whole idea of the military structure is to discourage critical thinking (this is of-course a generalization). It is supposed to make people fur

I feel like, the whole idea of the military structure is to discourage critical thinking (this is of-course a generalization). It is supposed to make people further down the chain of command pseudo-robots to the people above them. As the people below become more robotic the chain of responsibility shifts UPWARD. So by following orders you push off responsibility to the people above. It's a system in which the more punctual and accurate you are the better. The less thinking you do, the more you will be rewarded. In fact, thinking is dangerous because if you screw up you're on your own.

olympus 14y ago
I kind of disagree with you here, but you are close. The US military encourages critical thinking in all its ranks (something many other nations do not do), but it has to do so while discouraging risky behavior. This is what is so difficult, because unnecessary risks can literally get you and your friends killed. Because of this the US military teaches their officers and soldiers to follow orders but to give it some thought about how it's done. The only career field (that I can think of) where orders are supposed to be followed 'robotically' is the maintenance career field in the Air Force where the Technical Orders (instructions for fixing jets) are the word of God. Most of the time there will be quite a bit of flexibility in an order to encourage critical thinking but discourage risk. Source: I'm an officer in the US Air Force.
- hef19898 14y ago
  Technical orders are the always the word of God in civil aviatio, too, at least that's my experience. I can't judge what a military is like, but some big organisations tend to crack down on critical thinking pretty successfully. At least in a military environment I can understand it somehow.... But I suppose without ANY flexibility you would actually drum out the last bit of motivation, right?

olympus 14y ago

I kind of disagree with you here, but you are close. The US military encourages critical thinking in all its ranks (something many other nations do not do), but it has to do so while discouraging risky behavior. This is what is so difficult, because unnecessary risks can literally get you and your friends killed. Because of this the US military teaches their officers and soldiers to follow orders but to give it some thought about how it's done. The only career field (that I can think of) where orders are supposed to be followed 'robotically' is the maintenance career field in the Air Force where the Technical Orders (instructions for fixing jets) are the word of God. Most of the time there will be quite a bit of flexibility in an order to encourage critical thinking but discourage risk. Source: I'm an officer in the US Air Force.

hef19898 14y ago
Technical orders are the always the word of God in civil aviatio, too, at least that's my experience. I can't judge what a military is like, but some big organisations tend to crack down on critical thinking pretty successfully. At least in a military environment I can understand it somehow.... But I suppose without ANY flexibility you would actually drum out the last bit of motivation, right?