Note: Obedience in the sense of the evangelical counsels is a vow taken by religious which assumes that the superior will not demand anything contrary to the will of God. These vows don’t restrict persons so much as free them up from the necessity of making so many decisions; someone else becomes responsible for that and the vowed person can focus on God more readily. At least in theory, I suppose. It seems that it would have to be really hard for someone who has taken this vow to stand up and tell a superior, “No, what you’re telling me to do is contrary to God’s will.” And it seems that it could be easy for a superior to abuse the relationship. You understand, of course, that I have not taken a vow of religious obedience and don’t personally know how it goes.

Quote:
“Religious obedience is that general submission which religious vow to God, and voluntarily promise to their superiors, in order to be directed by them in the ways of perfection according to the purpose and constitutions of their order. It consists, according to Lessius (De Justitia, II, xlvi, 37), in a man’s allowing himself to be governed throughout his life by another for the sake of God. It is composed of three elements:

• the sacrifice offered to God of his own independence in the generality of his actions, at least of such as are exterior;
• the motive, namely, personal perfection, and, as a rule, also the performance of spiritual or corporal works of mercy and charity;
• the express or implied contract with an order (formerly also with a person), which accepts the obligation to lead him to the end for which he accepts its laws and direction.

Religious obedience, therefore, does not involve that extinction of all individuality, so often alleged against convents and the Church; nor is it unlimited, for it is not possible either physically or morally that a man should give himself up absolutely to the guidance of another. The choice of a superior, the object of obedience, the authority of the hierarchical Church, all exclude the idea of arbitrary rule.”

Source: Vermeersch, Arthur. “Religious Obedience.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.