You can tell that you have become a member of someone else's hierarchy very easily:
Are you tempted to ask them for permission?
Do you think their decisions should apply to you, even against your own better judgment?
Do you worry if they will treat you "unfairly"?
They own you.
Those combined are a feature of democracy, aren‘t they?
Almost any organization, including governments, families, churches, clubs, protocols, etc.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't join hierarchies. I'm saying you should only join them consciously and deliberately.
You shouldn't slide into "subject mode" and find yourself pleading for fair judgment from judges who owe you nothing and are not accountable to you for their decisions.
This is oddly poignant.
