A long time ago, I learned a term that captured the essence of the second less-than-mature coping strategy I learned during early childhood. The first, of course, was the confrontational "you're not the boss of me!" (otherwise indicated by the acronym YNTBOM). YNTBOM was one that I tried out (it was also attempted by one or more of my siblings, and several other juveniles I was acquainted with). It was commonly used in a specific setting--when someone we believed neither rightly possessed nor merited authority over our activities tried once too often to direct us. We found ourselves being compelled by circumstances to do his or her bidding much of the time, unless we tried YNTBOM.
Some foolish contemporaries tried the YNTBOM approach with their parents. This was promptly addressed by timely corporal punishment administered by good old-fashioned parents. A spanking removed YNTBOM from the arsenal employed when we were receiving direction from any grownup with good sense. Our not yet fully-formed brains were able to perceive that YNTBOM was not effective on parents.
Being creative and resourceful young humans, we developed another strategy that featured huge servings of childishness and immaturity. We would do "exactly what we were told to do." "Let go of your brother right now!" would occasion a tumble for the sibling being held up in the air. "Let the dog out" would result in the dog running loose in the neighborhood because the person giving you that directive failed to specify that you should attach one end of the leash to the dog, and wrap the other around your hand and accompany the dog. You get the idea. A juvenile imagination can create a form of compliance that should probably be a corollary to the law of unintended consequences---a directive given to someone who only complies because they are forced to may result in an unanticipated outcome.
William Oncken, a management consultant wrote a marvelous book, Managing Management Time, and in it he described a practice employed by subordinates who despised their supervisors--vicious compliance. The subordinates, who don't respect the authority of their boss are not dumb enough to simply ignore the boss. Instead, they do "exactly what the boss told them to do." In the process, they comply with the boss' orders, but show him or her, so to speak, by causing problems by complying viciously. Vicious Compliance--it's a great expression, isn't it? It captures the practice perfectly. It is a weapon employed by immature humans from age five to fifteen. Beyond that, most learn more mature means to address their conflicts. Only a special few stay with that strategy. I am not a regular watcher of "The Office," but I will wager the characters on that TV show have demonstrated vicious compliance from time to time.
I have tried to keep politics out of this little corner of the world, but I just can't help myself. What do you think is happening when a law mandating across-the-board spending cuts takes effect and the people responsible for executing this law start by laying off firemen, teachers, air traffic controllers on the first day. It is, after all, a way of executing an across the board spending cut. Now, how about agreeing to make reductions in certain areas, provided the other guys agree to raise taxes, we can balance the budget by spreading things around a little--is that double-talk? Or how about agreeing to increase tax revenues, but only by removing loopholes and not raising tax rates, we can raise tax revenues without raising taxes, what's that? They are probably sophisticated strategies dreamed up by overgrown 15 year olds
I'm thinking someone needs a spanking.... Anybody seen a grownup?
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