followingobeying

Followingobeying is a neologism used to describe the relationship between following guidelines or norms and obeying direct commands. It denotes a spectrum of behavior from voluntary adherence driven by internalized norms to compulsory submission to authority.

Origin and usage: The term is not widely established in scholarly literature; it appears in discussions of organizational behavior, ethics, and media studies as a composite label to analyze how people respond to rules and orders. It emphasizes that following and obeying are related but distinct processes: following can be collaborative and self-motivated, while obeying implies acceptance of an authority's legitimate power.

Contexts: In workplaces, safety policies require both following procedures and obeying supervisors. In law enforcement and military settings, obedience is often codified, while in consumer platforms, users may both follow terms of service and obey community standards. In digital environments, the concept can describe user compliance with platform prompts or privacy rules.

Evaluation and critique: Proponents argue that followingobeying supports social order, safety, and efficient governance, while critics warn that overreliance on obedience may erode autonomy or enable unethical actions if authority is illegitimate. The usefulness of the concept depends on distinguishing compliant behavior that is voluntary and well-considered from coercive compliance.

Related concepts include obedience, compliance, conformity, social norms, and deontic ethics.