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The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. There are number of parameters on the basis of which we can identify the well-being of a society - access to quality education, acceptance and compliance with social norms, mortality rates etc. Apart from these, some people also believe that the ability to question authority enhances the well-being of the society, but others would state that questioning can have a negative impact on the society. In my view, a society can develop only when it has the freedom to question authority on policies, decisions and governance Consider the example of the Right to Information Act implemented in India. This powerful act has given the common man the right to request for information on various aspects of governance such as, environmental studies used for making decisions, defense contracts, actual vs. planned expenses etc. which has lead to further scrutiny of how various departments, cities and country are being run. This scrutiny has lead to number of scandals coming out in the public arena which otherwise would not have seen light of the day. Given the repercussions, leaders and politicians appear to be making a greater effort to show evidence of improvements brought about. As much as the ability to question has brought about improvements in governance, so has it brought about improvements in science. In medivial times, it was believed that the sun revolves around the earth. However, Galileo questioned this statement based on faith rather than facts and despite significant resistance continued to state that it is the reverse. Subsequently, science proved that Galileo was right. However, we cannot rest the burden of progress on the courage of a few who are brave enough to stand up to authority. Society itself needs to encourage and accept the questions as a necessary discussion to enable it to move forward. In fact the absence of questions or differing ideas is also considered as a symptom of “group think” a term coined in organizational behavior. A team is said to suffer from “group think” when members arrive at consensus without adequate brainstorming and discussion which would ensure that the final decision has been thought through in terms of pros and cons. Take the example of Nokia which chose not to go ahead with a touch based phone, a product of their research lab developed years before the iphone hit the market and subsequently lost the mobile market to Apple. While it is important that we raise questions at times the availability of such an avenue can be used to hamper and impede the work performed by authority. One example being the Indian parliament where opposing parties have obstructed the government from performing its key duties by walking out of the parliament and conducting protests all in the name of raising questions about what ever policy or bill is getting tabled. As the bulk of the evidence shows it is important that we ask questions to improve governance, to support scientific enquiry and to study decisions. However, it goes hand in hand with the intelligence and civility to not abuse this ability and right to ask questions.

If rituals did not exist, we would have to invent them, we need ceremonies and rituals to help us define ourselves socially and culturally What are rituals? These are typically the practices that we are taught to follow at specific time intervals based on religion or social customs. For e.g. in the Hindu family, the prayer lamp is lit every evening or taking the example of an Indian classical dance performance which would start with a performance as an invocation to Lord Ganesha. Many believe that rituals are just passed from generation to generation and play no particular role, on the other hand there are those who believe that rituals help us define ourselves socially and culturally. Man is a social animal and we are all driven by the need to belong and to connect. The way humans have done is through language, art and rituals. This forging of a connection helps us guide our behavior and those of the people surrounding us. Take the case of the sense of community that is built around the local church, or community center where people enjoy participating in each other’s festivities and lives. Even in rural India where people may not have too many means, villages gather today to ensure festivals are celebrated and prayers are performed. Rituals have been existing through the ages and undergo changes with growing social consciousness. Take the example of the practice of child marriage in India. As India has progressed in terms of education and development the practice is almost abolished. Interestingly, a trace of the ritual still exists as seen in the Brahmin weddings where the bride sits on the fathers for a segment of the ceremony. We as a society are learning to study existing norms and redefine them appropriately. Each generation thus leaves a stamp on a ritual or custom. We also make our own rituals and derive strength from the stability and regularity of performing those rituals. New parents are advised to follow the same ritual before bedtime so that babies get used to the notion of going to sleep at a certain time. Over a period of time they understand the cues be it being told a story or the sound of a song and prepare to close their eyes. Children take comfort in those rituals to the point that any deviation causes distress. As adults we too create our own rituals and derive comfort in doing something,which becomes a part of how we live life. In conclusion, rituals are practices or customs which help us bond with society, community and life itself. They are constantly being modified by our interests, knowledge and social consciousness. We derive comfort from performing them as they introduce stability to our lives even in moments of distress. Consequently, we would invent rituals if they did not exist to help us define ourselves