I've always had a “problem with authority”, I think I was born with it. In my defense, I'd like to make the statement more precise by saying that my problem is with any authorities who are:
And that's, unfortunately, most of them. On the other hand, I have no problem respecting authorities who possess traits such as:
And I do respect appointed authority to the extent that I have to (to achieve my goals), but I'll never respect unworthy authority figures if I can safely get away with ignoring them.
Tradition is a weak source of authority in my eyes. I have a mind of my own, I can apply it to achieving my goals, and I frequently do. Traditions have the arrogance to tell me what my goals should be. I reject that. I reject any form of crowd control, which would attempt to manipulate me into doing what the crowd (or its leader) wants. I refuse to be used. I believe in reciprocity. You want my help - you need to earn it. I'm not giving anything for free.