sky to heaven - the invisible life.

I live in a country where many parents tell their children what to do with their lives. The parents say, “Study business,” and the children study business. The parents say, “Don’t study design,” and the children don’t study design. Obeying authority without question is a tradition.

Who has authority? Our politicians. Our bosses. Our religious leaders. Our parents. Our teachers. There are many people in our lives who have authority. People who tell us what to do – and we do it. People who tell us what to think – and we think it.

Authority is the power to make decisions for other people and to give orders which they will obey. Why do we obey authority? I believe there are two main reasons. The first reason is because we believe that authority knows what is best for us, and so we obey. And the second reason is because we don’t believe that authority knows what is best for us, but we are afraid to disobey – and so we obey.

If we believe that authority knows what is best for us, this means that we don’t know what is best for ourselves – and this is our own ignorance. If we are afraid to disobey authority, this means we are afraid to do what we believe is best – and this is our own fear. Ignorance and fear prevent us from realizing our own freedom. For if you always need someone else to make decisions for you, then you will never be able to make decisions for yourself – and you are not free. If you always let someone else tell you what to do, you will never know what to do by yourself – and you are not free. And it is your own ignorance or your fear that imprisons you and binds you to authority.

This is why I believe that the authority of one person is built upon the ignorance or fear of another person. One person has and keeps his authority because another person lives in either ignorance or fear. And while some people do not wish to live in the slavery of ignorance and fear, other people do not really mind living in ignorance and fear. People say, “Ignorance is bliss,” because ignorance requires less personal effort and responsibility.

Authority is not God-given but man-given – or man-taken. And a man may have acquired his authority because he stole. Because he lied or cheated. Because he made a bribe, a threat, or a deal. Because he flattered. Because he helped another, and was owed a favor. Because he had a friend in a high position, or a family that was well-connected. Because no one else was more qualified, or because no one else wanted the job. Or because he was simply liked – or not disliked. Any man may have authority, but this does not mean he deserves such authority. Oftentimes, we do not know the true story of how a man has gained his authority. We just see the authority, and not the story behind it. We see the power of his position – but not the corruption behind his rise.

This is why a king can be a criminal. A CEO can be a thief. A priest can be a predator. A teacher can be an idiot. A parent can be an abuser. For kings have been deposed, presidents impeached, CEOs have been fired, priests have been defrocked, teachers have been removed, and parents have been locked up. So I don’t care if you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a president of a country, or my teacher - you do not have my respect simply because you are in a position of authority. You must earn my respect. And only when you have earned my respect, only then will I give you my respect.

So yes, I have a problem with authority - because I believe authority is often wrong. If all people who had authority were right, then we would have better governments. Better companies, religions, and schools. Better families and societies. A better world.

But obviously this is not the case. Most of us generally obey our presidents, bosses, teachers, priests, and parents, and yet still our world is mostly imperfect. So perhaps, our obedience is mostly wrong.

Because most people with authority are just like most people without authority – in the end, they’re just people. And people tend to serve themselves, rather than serve others. People in authority do not necessarily know what is best for you, because they do not often concern themselves with what is best for you. When was the last time you were sincerely asked by someone in authority, “What do you feel is best for you?” Or even, “What do you think is best for all of us?”

They do not spend their time listening to, understanding, or communicating with you, because they already believe they know what is best for you. Or they may feel your interests are simply not as high a priority as their own interests. Most people spend their time and energy thinking about what is best for themselves - not what is best for you. They are more concerned with maintaining and protecting their own power – not increasing yours. So how can you trust authority to protect your interests, when most people are only concerned about their own interests?

It is said that power corrupts. But I believe people choose to be self-serving, and power only gives them the means to be even more self-serving at the expense of others. It is not the power that is corrupt, it is the person who wields it that is corrupt. When the person had no power, it was just more difficult to see their inclination towards corruption – because they were powerless to be corrupt.

So I do not respect authority by itself; I respect individual people. I will not listen to you, respect you, or believe in you simply because you have authority. I will listen to you, respect you, and believe in you because I choose to trust you, and I believe in and understand the truth of what you say – for in my own opinion, the truth is always the first authority, regardless of who speaks it. So it is very possible for me to respect a person who has no authority more than a person who has much authority. To me, your position means nothing, while who you are means everything.

In the end, who decides which authority is trustworthy, truthful, and genuinely considers and understands your own best interests? What should you do and think? How should you live? Who should you trust and follow? You must decide. Even if you have given others the authority to decide for you, you have chosen to do so from your own authority – and you still have the power to take that back if you so choose. Ultimately, the basis of any authority is due to the authority that we ourselves grant to it – which is why there is no greater authority in your life than you.