Maybe that's a bit of an obscure question. Probably, too, "crippled" might be too strong an adjective for what I experience. But here's an example from work: I have served in positions past and present which carry with them a great deal of responsibility, either because I have had workers under me and/or because I have been counted on to pull off some important project. When awarded responsibility, I become both the ultimate company person (best interest of the company comes first) and ultimate team player (we're all in this together, yeah). Additionally, I seem to have a gift (so have said a few my bosses over the years) for quickly assessing a situation and coming up with a logical, positive, efficient course of action. So then a directive comes down from upper management that I am to do something a certain way. Not because it is logical. Not because it is positive. Not because it is efficient. But because the directive was born of pure blind ego. In fact, this "recommended" course of action is by any standards illogical, negative and inefficient. At that, it will place undue stress on my department workers. And it is plain that negotiation about the matter is off the table. Thus, cognitive dissonance--I am pulled between my drive toward fulfilling my duties as a consummate, loyal company professional on the one hand, and my own compulsions toward logic and efficient action, and to protect my workers to boot, on the other. When I am placed in these circumstances (which is frequently, since the professional world is driven not by positive values, but by ego and greed), I tend to get extremely angry and frustrated, and subsequently find it nearly impossible to carry out my job. (The usual sensation is that of having run a ten-mile gauntlet being buffeted by baseball bats.) I've lost at least two three jobs due to this eternal conundrum. Often I feel as if I am simply not equipped for working in this world because of these nagging principles. So, anyone else go through this crap? Doesn't have to be job-related--indeed, I could name at least one or two million congruent examples from my private life.
Hmm. Could this be an example of cognitive dissonance: Our painting course teacher wants us to paint using ridiculous items and on ridiculous surfaces. We've been experimenting enough, we don't have a lot of school left and we still have an another course called "experimental art" after this. So wouldn't it be more logical to use this course to implement everything we've learnt and paint freely with the attempt to actually create something decent instead of just making more pointless exercises? Also, our teacher had an almost authoritarian take on guidance and tried to push his view on what our paintings should be. So I just got so frustrated that I showed up late everyday and basically didn't do anything... In my case it was more about rebellion and protest though
I think we're going down this route, considering how the music's getting worse (it's actually more louder than musical, Google it), us being more dependent on technology and us having fewer manners. You should also check out Idiocracy, the film, and compare.
