Concept in Definition ABC

There are people who are friendly, are obedient to their superiors and generally adopt submissive behaviors. Of them it can be said that they are docile.

The same occurs with some animals, usually companion pets such as dogs and cats, but also those that by their nature are not aggressive.

The two faces of meekness in humans

Like many other human behaviors, they are not good or bad in themselves, but it all depends on the context in which they are analyzed. Thus, it is desirable for a student to be docile, as this facilitates the process of learning. However, a default point can be suitable for any student.

In the workplace, something similar happens. The docile worker adapts well to all kinds of circumstances and, in principle, this character trait can be very positive. However, if their docility implies submission, this attitude it makes the worker a victim of a despotic superior.

From the perspective of a dominator, docility is positive, but from the perspective of a person with

dignity it is an undesirable attitude. Imagine a situation of slavery in which there is a master and a series of slaves. For the master, the good slave has to be as docile as possible and for the slave who does not accept his situation, rebellion is the only way to fight against his exploitative situation.

On synthesis, docility can be understood as a virtue or as a defect. The assessment made will depend on the social context and the position of the person analyzing the conduct docile.

Docility in women

For centuries there has been a majority female archetype. The ideal woman had to be submissive and obedient and therefore docile. This attitude was considered the paradigm of the good wife. When the woman showed a certain rebellion and rejected the role that belonged to her, it was common for her attitude to be labeled as rebellious and inappropriate for a decent woman. This female prototype has been disappearing and at present docility in women is valued negatively, except in the case that it is a macho who judges

The golden retriever is an especially docile dog

What rule Generally people acquire a pet to have a pleasant company. If we take dogs as a reference, some breeds are especially suitable for family life precisely because of their docile and affectionate nature. Among them we can highlight the golden retriever, a breed that is ideal to live with kids, to relate to people or to guide a blind person.

Photos: Fotolia - Petra Eckerl

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