Perceptions of authority

[Terxpahseyton]

"Authority" seems to guide social relations in every instance. There is the authority of a friend, a farther or mother or other family members, a teacher, a policeman, a lawyer or a politician or an employer. A superior in private, economic, cultural or legislated terms.
How do you perceive authority? What for you does authority entail? What to you does authority mean?

I tend to view authority in two kinds. Either it is based on trust. Or it is a necessary (or unnecessary) evil. Does this mean I have a problem with authority?

Just share your thoughts on whatever you like regarding authority.

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

Authority of people I can talk to is good. Authority of people I can't talk to (read: corporate) is something to be dodged around.

 

[kochman]

"Authority" seems to guide social relations in every instance. There is the authority of a friend, a farther or mother or other family members, a teacher, a policeman, a lawyer or a politician or an employer. A superior in private, economic, cultural or legislated terms.
How do you perceive authority? What for you does authority entail? What to you does authority mean?

I tend to view authority in two kinds. Either it is based on trust. Or it is a necessary (or unnecessary) evil. Does this mean I have a problem with authority?

Just share your thoughts on whatever you like regarding authority.

Well, if you don't have a problem with authority at times, you aren't paying attention.
Authority figures are made up of people, and people do crappy things sometimes...
I've often heard that those attracted to being police, for example, were often either bullies or the bullied, and love the power it gives them. This isn't a sweeping guideline, but you definitely see cases of it.

 

[Perfection]

True authority comes from a spirit of compassion moderated by humility and thoughtfulness.

 

[JohnRM]

Authority is derived either from a sense of power or a sense of responsibility. The former is almost always bad and the latter is almost always good.

 

[Save_Ferris]

Authoritah is to be respected.

 

[Glassfan]

Question authority.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

I don't have the authority to have opinions on authority. Lemme see if I can grab my supervisor.

 

[Borachio]

Whenever I see a figure of authority approaching in the distance, I remove my hat, and wait patiently by the side of the road with my head bowed. As they get nearer, I fall to my knees. And finally kow-tow, hoping for the benediction of spittle or the loving touch of the lash; for which I am truly grateful.

In fact, I do not respect authority. The crooks.

 

[Dachs]

I think that the Authority was a bunch of scumbags and I'm glad that Hirken's dead.

 

[ParkCungHee]

I think the Authority were mostly unlikable, but Warren Ellis has made up for it with other things.

 

[JollyRoger]

Link to video.

 

[DroopyTofu]

I think that authority comes from the amount of respect people give to those who have authority. And respect must be earned. Therefore, authority must be earned. When people try to assert authority without earning it, I don't respect their authority.

 

[timtofly]

Authority happens.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

If you say "authority" too many times, it starts to sound like it isn't a real word.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it. George Carlin

 

[The_J]

"Authority" seems to guide social relations in every instance. There is the authority of a friend, a farther or mother or other family members, a teacher, a policeman, a lawyer or a politician or an employer. A superior in private, economic, cultural or legislated terms.

I think you forgot one important group .

I tend to view authority in two kinds. Either it is based on trust. Or it is a necessary (or unnecessary) evil.

Doesn't exclude each other ^^.
Especially since the second basically covers *everything*. Or can you name e.g. one office of which you think it's not either necessary or unnecessary? -> Definition too broad.

How do you perceive authority? What for you does authority entail? What to you does authority mean?

I think that authority comes from the amount of respect people give to those who have authority. And respect must be earned. Therefore, authority must be earned. When people try to assert authority without earning it, I don't respect their authority.

No, not really.
Authority is about the power and the willigness to enforce things. You don't need the respect of somebody, but it makes things easier. It's easier when people just do the stuff you say out of respect than having to force them via e.g. physical violence to do it. But it's not necessary.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

I think you forgot one important group .

I decided that moderators are best served with the Gandhi-method

Doesn't exclude each other ^^.
Especially since the second basically covers *everything*. Or can you name e.g. one office of which you think it's not either necessary or unnecessary? -> Definition too broad.

Not that I even tried to propose some awesome categorization, it was more to illustrate an intuitive point. But didn't you forget the qualification "evil"?