Teenage Tyrany; A Tragic Tail

Never give a teenager power. Of any kind. I'm completely serious. They will undoubtedly abuse it. I think it is a result of a total lack of any real influence, on anything, for the first decade and a half or so of their lives. They have continually been controlled by adults, so that once the chance arises for them to have their chance to switch roles, they jump the gun.

The problem is not that they have power. Rather, it is their inability to control it that can lead to potential anarchy. Teenagers have a tendency to make dictators out of themselves in their efforts to form a perfect order, tailored especially to their wants and needs.

These observations of mine come from watching high school seniors direct a play. Their ideas are very good, I won't deny them that, but they really don't have any idea how to control the entire class long enough to explain these ideas, in a way that doesn't come off as if they were trying to form a dictatorship.

They strip away your personality slowly. I can only assume that that's in part to the fact that that's what almost every teenager; every high school student assumes that teachers, parents, or persons in power are supposed to do.

This kind of system can only lead to discontent among those being controlled. I put it that way, simply because I lack a better way of explaining it. But in this scenario, there is a "controller", or person with the majority of the power, and the person being "controlled". The fact of the matter is, though, that the latter person, or persons, follows blindly at first, glad that someone else is in charge, and thank god they don't have to worry about things like that.

But naturally, that sort of peace is only temporary. The power has become maddening, and those without it are irritated with their exclusion, and they are tired of the mind games and manipulations that come along with it.

And that's where the discontent comes into play, and it can lead to a potential mutiny if left unhandled.

And really now, who would want that?

So, never, if you can help it, give a teenager power.