The Authority Triad
|
|
Text and Artwork:
|
Who's authority do you rely upon? As with so many aspects of life and the human condition, the existence of authority in our lives is on a continuum. But unlike many other aspects, it is not a clear-cut continuum on only a single line. Authority does not only exist through the authoritative stance of others, but also in our own valuation of ourselves as an authority to ourselves. Therefore, the issue at hand can best be seen as a continuum between three separate forms of authority.  As the diagram to the left shows, there are three ways in which we can deal with authority in our lives, in as much as we are effected by authority. (How much authority we attempt to exert over others is a separate issue.) First, we can rely on and be guided by the authority of others. Second, we can fall into the coercive trap of a self-interested ultra-authority. And Third, we can become our own authority. Authority We run into many authorities in our lives, many of which have a sound basis for being labeled and considered an authority, and many who do not. For example, medical doctors have knowledge, training and experience that others do not. Ergo, they have a legitimate basis for being considered an authority in their field. However, they do not have legal training, and should not be considered an authority on court proceedings. So, then, such authorities are limited in the scope of their expertise. And even within their areas, legitimate authorities admit that there are those who may know more, or have differing insights. That is after all why our insurance companies want other medical (authoritative) opinions before any major procedures are done.In addition, there are many who may take a position of authority which is not so clearly grounded in a detached and logical basis such as scientific and factual knowledge. However, culturally, many of these authority figures affect us to a large degree. These are often social authorities, such as media celebrities, newscasters, reporters, politicians, authors, and other public and/or popular people. For example, many people would be faster to listen to the ecological viewpoints of a movie star than the ecological viewpoints of a scientist doing research in that area. Certainly, advertisers are very aware of this propensity and use it in their advertising strategies. Even so, although we may be attracted to such people and listen to them, we do not judge our every action by what they say. We feel free to disagree with them...their importance as an authority has limits within our lives. Parents and teachers have another, specialized niche in the varieties of authority. These are people who are, ideally, only temporary authority figures. A parent raises their children with the goal that those children will (hopefully) become independent adults who no longer are in need of the strictures of a parental authority figure. Teachers impart the knowledge they hold so that the student can then assimilate and go beyond their teaching. The true teacher knows that they are working towards their own obsolescence, at least as it pertains to each individual student. But they take heart and rejoice in the fact that there are always more students to be taught. Ultra-Authority As you know if you've glanced through People Who Play God, ultra-authorities are those people or (relatively rarely) groups of people who maintain that they are authorities without limits. They know everything; they understand it all; their way, in all situations and circumstances, is the only right way, etc.For more information, I refer you back to the book. Personal Authority So, as we have seen there are those authorities with recognized limits, and there are those (ultra-)authorities which disallow limitations. But there is a third form of authority active in your life. That is yourself as your own authority.As with other authorities, a person who is their own personal authority accepts a limitation as well; they limit their sense of authority to their personal being. They are not interested in becoming an authority figure to others, per se. Rather, they are much more interested in gathering data for themselves, often from outside authorities, but then hashing through that data and making their own determinations and decisions. They hold themselves responsible for themselves. They will accept the consequences of their actions, as they understand fully why they choose that route in the first place. These people will actively seek out anything in themselves or in their environments which threaten their ability to be a solid, reliable and trustworthy authority to themselves. They will often work to overcome their own shortcomings, their own defense mechanisms, and their propensities toward excuses and rationalizations. These are the people who are truly self-willed, self-directed and self-determined. They demand the highest levels of honesty with themselves. The Authority-Triad Continuum All of us are a mixture in how we deal with authority in our lives. It is, indeed, rare to find anyone or any situation which is completely and totally 100% at one of the triad's extremities, although certain ultra-authorities can come amazingly close. Generally, our approach to authority will be somewhere in the area between being our own personal authority and relying on the authority of others. Occasionally, though, an authority begins to push their limits of authority further and further outward.In that event, the continuum shifts further over toward ultra-authority. And if the ultra-authority is successful in it's coercive methods of ensnarement, the person's placement in the continuum will change, drawing ever closer to that extreme. On the converse, as a person becomes more and more self-determined, and thereby more and more their own personal authority, their placement within the continuum will shift closer towards that apex. The triad becomes useful as a visualization of the way in which you interact with the entire issue of authority within your life. It is in essence a tool for self-evaluation. It may also be of interest in regards to further research in this area. |