Authority

Whether or not you decide to hand over responsibility to someone else, you are the true author of your life.

Growing up, we’ve learned this isn’t so. We’ve created external authority to take responsibility for our lives, and we’ve come to depend on it so much, that it’s difficult to step back from it without fear for our survival.

Many who find themselves dissatisfied with a social framework have difficulty relating to authority figures because they’re aware that they want to take back their own authorship of their lives, but aren’t sure how to go about it. When dealing with external authority, they’ll put up a stoical front or even engage in conflict just to show that they’re not subject to that authority.

Determined efforts to show that you’re not subject to authority show you actually believe that you are: A person who is aware of their own authority over their life doesn’t take the trouble to oppose - there’s no reason to. And this kind of person treats all others - including those in social positions of authority - with respect, because they

1) have no fear of them,
2) care about them as human beings, whatever their beliefs, and
3) are not interested in causing difficulty for themselves.

The way you relate to others reflects your self-image. If you have a healthy respect for yourself, you’ll find you also have a healthy respect for everyone you meet. This is fundamental. There’s no shortcut; no convenient way around this - for you simply cannot care for all aspects of yourself, if you don’t care for all types of other people.

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