"Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. In the matter of boots, I defer to the authority of the bootmaker; concerning houses, canals, or railroads, I consult the architect or the engineer."
Mikhail Bakunin
I am a mediocre human being, and I had to work hard to get to that.
I lived most of my life as my own highest authority. It did not go well. I hurt myself, I hurt other people, and I made a general mess of things.
I hurt myself less often these days. I hurt other people less often these days. The general mess I make of things is a little less messy than it used to be. This is all because I have recognized that I am not someone I should listen to.
I refused to admit this for a long time, but there is such a thing as legitimate authority. We all know this. That's why we take our car to a mechanic when it's not working and go to the doctor when our body is not working.
We all submit to authority in one way or another. Even if someone refuses to listen to other human beings, they are subject to the authority of things like gravity and the second law of thermodynamics.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Simple Ways to Have a Good Life to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.