Authority: A High-Definition Analysis
Etymology and Evolution
Authority's etymological roots are the Latin "augere," which meant originator or creator until we adopted the common spelling of "author" in the 15th century and changed the colloquial definition to someone who writes, and the suffix "-ity", which means quality, state, or degree. In other words, an authority is someone who writes reality into existence for other people to follow. Rather than rewriting reality entirely, it is self-evident that most modern authorities build upon (generally called progressives) or uphold (generally called conservatives) the reality written into existence by past authorities, as the past authorities' time-tested writing holds truer than subsequent authors' attempts to rewrite reality from scratch.
The Dynamic Nature of Authority
The word has a deeper connotation, as an object's quality, state, or degree cannot be at rest. For example, the quality of your favorite cuisine will be different from one restaurant to another and change as the leftovers sit in your fridge; the state of an object may seem like it's at rest, but it's simply vibrating at varying rates that are often imperceptible to our normal range of human sense perception; and we easily and constantly perceive the degree of temperature change from warm to cold and back again.
The Driving Force of Objectives
An authority invariably operates with an objective, commonly referred to as an agenda, that shapes their insight and determines how their perception of reality evolves within their sphere of influence over time. This objective stems directly from the source of their authority. An easy-to-understand material example is that the source may come from self-interest or genuine concern for collective welfare. It is self-evident that an authority whose source stems from self-interest will interpret and articulate reality in ways that serve their personal agenda, while an authority whose source flows from selfless service will perceive and communicate reality in ways that benefit the greater good. As their influence grows or diminishes, these objectives often evolve, leading to shifts in how they interpret and present reality to maintain or expand their authority. This dynamic interplay between objective and influence creates a feedback loop that continuously shapes both the authority's perception and their impact on the systems they influence.
Hierarchical Systems and Influence
Multiple authorities with varying degrees of influence run every system. Authorities that increase their influence over other authorities climb their system's hierarchy. The quality, state, or degree of each authority's influence may appear to largely correlate with the author's ability to write, build upon, or uphold the reality underlying the population they serve.
The Inherent Nature of Opposition
It is crucial to understand that an authority will always have another authority opposing it. This opposition is not merely circumstantial but fundamental to the nature of authority itself. Because authority exists as a quality, state, or degree, it inherently contains within itself the seed of its opposite. Just as we cannot conceive of heat without cold, or light without darkness, we cannot fully comprehend any authority without understanding its opposition. This duality is not a flaw in the system but rather an essential feature that drives the dynamic nature of reality itself.
The Danger of Shared Incorrect Visions
It should be self-evident that many people can share an incorrect vision. The Bolshevik and Nazi authorities convinced many people to buy into their philosophy, killing tens of millions of people in the process. This stark historical reality demonstrates that the widespread acceptance of an authority's vision does not validate its truth or virtue. The number of followers an authority amasses may indicate their power to persuade, but not necessarily their alignment with truth or human welfare.
The Primacy of Individual Insight
It is of utmost importance to view authorities from the specific insight they possess, rather than accepting their entire worldview wholesale. More crucially, the highest form of authority lies within each individual, as only the individual can truly know themselves. This truth becomes self-evident when we observe how people who read religious or spiritual texts multiple times gain different insights with each reading. The text remains unchanged, but the individual's accumulated experience transforms their understanding. This phenomenon demonstrates that true authority emerges from the interaction between external wisdom and personal experience.
The Paradox of Authority
We must look deeper yet again and ask ourselves, have human authorities ever written reality into existence? Or does reality exist, and authorities are simply people whose:
Experiences led to profound insight
Motivation and determination led to developing the appropriate skillset to clearly and concisely articulate said insight
Perseverance led to the adoption of their effort and hard work as the foundation for current and/or future generations
The Test of Time
The length of time an authority's insights sustain reality is a good indication of how close the author’s insight was to the truth. This is self-evident when we examine history's enduring authorities - their insights have withstood centuries or even millennia of scrutiny, debate, and attempted refutation. Those whose articulation of reality resonated with deeper truths tend to persist, while those who merely crafted compelling but superficial narratives often fade within a generation or less. It is not the eloquence of the authority's expression that determines this longevity, but rather the depth of their connection to fundamental truths. This temporal test serves as nature's own peer review system, filtering out temporary distortions of reality while preserving insights that align with deeper patterns of existence.
The Generational Evolution of Truth
While historical longevity indicates proximity to truth, we must acknowledge that the history of a modern authority's insights changes precisely because of the quality, state, or degree of truth within each generation. Each era's authorities in opposition reshape the interpretation and application of historical insights through the lens of their contemporary understanding. This perpetual reinterpretation is not a dilution of original truth, but rather a natural evolution of understanding as reality's quality, state, or degree shifts through time. Modern authorities must therefore be understood not merely as preservers of historical insight, but as translators who bridge timeless truths with present reality, their interpretations inevitably shaped by the opposing forces of their own time.
Implications for Understanding Authority
This analysis reveals several key insights:
Authority is inherently dynamic, never static
Every authority operates from an objective that shapes their perception
True authority emerges from insight and articulation about the nature of creation rather than mere creation
Every authority naturally generates its opposite
The widespread acceptance of an authority's vision does not guarantee its truth
The highest authority lies in individual self-knowledge
Understanding authority requires embracing both change and constancy
Conclusion
The paradox of authority mirrors the paradox of reality itself. While authorities may appear to write reality into existence, they are more accurately understood as individuals who have developed the capacity to perceive, understand, and articulate the complex interplay between change and permanence. This understanding demands that we approach authority with respect for its potential to illuminate truth, vigilance against its capacity to propagate destructive falsehoods, and recognition that the ultimate authority resides within our own evolving consciousness.
This blog is part of my High-Definition Dictionary, which you can access here. Learn why I believe High-Definition Words are important here.
