Controller, Follower, or Rebel – Which One Are You?

There are lots of different types of people in the world, but in this video, I’ll be classifying people into three types, just based on what I’ve experienced throughout my life. The first type are controllers. Probably about 10-15% of the world’s population fit into this category. They’re people who like telling others what to do. They like controlling people, dominating people. They include world leaders, CEOs, politicians, military and police officers, school principals, managers, dictators, religious leaders, and anybody else who is in control of other people. Of course, not all the people in these professions are necessarily controllers, I’m sure there are some very nice managers or police officers who are just in it to help society in some way. But I’d suggest that the vast majority of these people deep down want to control others. Whether that be because they just enjoy the power, or perhaps they believe that the only way to keep society functioning is to control the masses. Either way, they result is the same. They give orders, and you take ‘em!

The next category is followers. About 80-85% of the population are followers. Statistically speaking, you’re probably a follower. If not, that’s great! (Perhaps you’re in the next category). Being a follower isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most followers are just ordinary people living ordinary lives. They’re the workers, the servants, the soldiers, the pupils, the tenants, the peasants, the minions, the lackeys, the bootlickers, the flunkeys, the hangers-on. No, I’m not saying that factory workers are flunkeys, or anything like that. I’m just giving you some example people who fit into the follower category. Of course, not all followers want to be followers. Many of them actually do privately disagree with the powers that be, but they just put up with it, because it makes their life easier. I get it. Why fight against your leaders when that might end up with you being persecuted? Sometimes it’s just easier to obey. I used to be like that when I was a kid and a young man. I just put up with stuff, even though I wholeheartedly disagreed with it. I thought, why would I trouble my life by going against my superiors? A small proportion of these followers are what I would call “extreme followers” in that they actively enjoy obeying orders and get angry at those who don’t. We saw a lot of this over the last few years. But either way, followers live by the same creed. Do what you’re told, or else!

And the last group, who I proudly call myself a member, the rebels. I actually have Scottish blood and am a direct descendent of William Wallace, so says my family tree, but I’ve also heard that William Wallace never fathered any children, so go figure. Rebels are the smallest of the groups, with only 5-10% of the population fitting in this category. Perhaps people who watch this channel are more likely to be rebellious than not, I’ll run a poll to see. Famous rebels, real of imagined, include Robin Hood, William Wallace, Martin Luther, Galileo, Emily Davison, Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and perhaps Ned Kelly (although many people didn’t see him as a hero, but rather a vicious thug). Either way, rebels have changed the world, usually for the better. Without rebels, nothing would ever change. The controllers would continue telling the followers what to do, and the followers would just obey. The controllers love the status quo, because they’re in power. And the followers do nothing about it. That said, a world full of rebels wouldn’t be very good either. Everyone would be continuously going against one another all the time. A world without followers wouldn’t work. Nothing would ever get done! If there were no controllers, perhaps a similar situation would occur. There’d be nobody telling anybody what to do, and perhaps nothing would get done. I suppose, the point is, everybody is needed in their own sort of way. The problem is, managing it all.

None of this is to say that people don’t float between roles. I often go along with the crowd, especially if it’s unimportant. For example, in our friendship group, there’s a lady who always tells us which park she wants to go to. I don’t really care which park we go to, so it’s just not worth fighting her. That said, I’m a rebel at heart, and I will always stand up against those who are trying to force me, or somebody else, to do something against their will.

That reminds me, I haven’t given a motto to the rebels. Perhaps, a quote from the Star Wars Rebel Alliance is fitting. “To make forever free all beings in the galaxy!”

So which one are you, a controller, a follower, or a rebel?

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Allégro by Emmit Fenn