Authority

Authority is granted solely by consent. You have to have people willing to listen, willing to believe in order to hold authority over them.

I wonder if I have any authority among my peers. Do people listen to me? I would hope that they do, because I generally want to help more often than not. But truth is based on perspective, yeah? So any one person holds the power to deny my authority. And, as we live in a society of rebellion, we must make the most of what time we have where we are able to shape the world around us. If you truly want to see a message through, if you truly want to make a change you must be strong. Eventually, someone will follow, and once that happens you are no longer one man. You become two.

And from there your authority grows. It's when you say "because I say so" and others listen. It's a function of trust, of respect, and it can be taken away. Therefore a position of authority is a temporary state of being, and as such we must take hold of it while we have it.

Do not listen to those who scorn success. You have to be ready to go, ready to lead. And you must also be ready to follow, because in those intermittant times where we do not lead we should make use of those who are strong.

Authority is granted solely by consent. I am afraid to subject myself to that authority.

So don't listen to those who will not listen - trust to those who will.

Will you trust me?