The Rebel Pattern
Jay Earley, PhD
The Rebel Pattern is one of the patterns in the Power Dimension of the Pattern System.
If you have the Rebel
Pattern, you tend to rebel against people in authority by resisting or
fighting against what they want from you, whether it is actually bad for
you or not. You may oppose people by being rigid and confrontational,
and this may lead to arguments or power struggles. You may feel like
people are trying to control or dominate you even when they aren't. You
might then get angry and defiant just for the sake of being right.
Of course, it is healthy to oppose an edict that really isn't good for you or one that is imposed in a domineering way. But if you tend to think that most people are doing this, or at least most authority figures, you may have the Rebel Pattern. You might not have learned how to distinguish the times when you really need to defend yourself from being dominated vs. those times when this is unnecessary.
It is also good to innovate and be creative, finding your own way in life, so it makes sense to advocate for your ability to do this. Just notice whether your struggles for autonomy are really necessary or come from a Rebel Pattern.
Of course, it is healthy to oppose an edict that really isn't good for you or one that is imposed in a domineering way. But if you tend to think that most people are doing this, or at least most authority figures, you may have the Rebel Pattern. You might not have learned how to distinguish the times when you really need to defend yourself from being dominated vs. those times when this is unnecessary.
It is also good to innovate and be creative, finding your own way in life, so it makes sense to advocate for your ability to do this. Just notice whether your struggles for autonomy are really necessary or come from a Rebel Pattern.
You may also react with
defiance when you feel like you are being intruded upon or smothered.
However, if you have the Rebel Pattern, you may see almost everyone as
intruding on you. You may not just set limits when they are really
necessary, but most of the time in an angry, self-righteous way.
You may play devil's advocate by automatically arguing the opposite side of any point of view that is put forward. It may be difficult for you to simply agree with someone, even when you truly do, inside. You may actually enjoy engaging in arguments or fighting against what you consider to be injustice. Of course, there is plenty of injustice in the world. But do you like to get righteously angry about harmful actions without making any proactive attempts to create harmony and fairness? If this is true, you may have a Rebel Pattern.
When someone is overly controlling, can you respond to them in a way that will be most effective in getting them to change? Or do you tend to get hostile, or dogmatically dig in your heels? Even if you are justified in fighting back, do you do this in the most effective way to get what you really want? Or do you engage in a power struggle just for the sake of it?
You may play devil's advocate by automatically arguing the opposite side of any point of view that is put forward. It may be difficult for you to simply agree with someone, even when you truly do, inside. You may actually enjoy engaging in arguments or fighting against what you consider to be injustice. Of course, there is plenty of injustice in the world. But do you like to get righteously angry about harmful actions without making any proactive attempts to create harmony and fairness? If this is true, you may have a Rebel Pattern.
When someone is overly controlling, can you respond to them in a way that will be most effective in getting them to change? Or do you tend to get hostile, or dogmatically dig in your heels? Even if you are justified in fighting back, do you do this in the most effective way to get what you really want? Or do you engage in a power struggle just for the sake of it?
