REBELLION

Rebellion is an interesting state. Rebellion means breaking the established rules, disobeying authorities as well as finding solutions in open and critical thinking. It manifests itself in different ways. I remember attending a school camp when I was nine years old. Eleven of us were sitting in the dining hall and refusing to eat our bowls of the most disgusting carrot puree for over for hours. I tried to force myself into eating, but it was no use. I could not swallow. The teachers did not want to give up, but we proved ourselves stronger. The rules of the game were starting to toughen. We were not allowed to play, go to the bathroom and we would not get any water. They held our noses and tried to force the orange liquid down our throats. Some of the children threw up, other’s eyes started to fill up with tears, which then rolled down their cheeks. “You will not leave this place until you’ve finished eating!” We did not. It was against our conviction. Not only was the meal physically repelling. What made us resist was the principle; a kind of a collective cohesion. It was no big revolution, only a small system disruption during our school camp. Then an opened envelope with a letter from my grandma came. The letter said there was a twenty-crown note there for me. Except for the letter, the envelope was empty. Sometimes you have to pay for your rebellion…

Rebellion is a natural state. The people I consider the greatest rebels were those who had no idea they were rebels. They used to be called provocateurs, weirdoes, freaks and fools. The older we get the tamer our rebelliousness becomes. Some of us will lose it completely and give in to conformity. Those who are more politically aware have goals that are more concrete. I believe that rebellion is positive if not necessary. It helps call attention to the things that could be done better. That is, in my opinion, the core of rebelliousness. Very often, rebellion is a question of creativity; a certain sensitivity towards reality and sometimes even humour. 

When considering the theme for this winter’s 4 Elements, we stumbled upon a question. Who can call themselves a rebel these days? Is there something generally applied, worth rebelling against? Step by step, we came to the conclusion that there is a rebel hidden in each one of us. Rebellion is healthy. It encourages us to broaden our horizons and become braver. It should not offend – it should boost. Rebellion is not revolution, though they’re not that far apart. Even a performance, a happening or a worldview can be considered rebellion. You can rebel against anything, even without a cause and I do hope that our winter 4 Elements prove themselves healthily rebellious.

Daniela