What is authority?

[Danioover9000]

How's authority understood?

[Nahm]

A necessary farce.

[Natasha]

Just now, Danioover9000 said:

How's authority understood?

There is no authority besides God's and since you are God, it all belongs to you. But you might need to Self-realize first to understand this.

On a Relative note, authority is an illusion... kings, governments, parents, police, etc. It's only 'authority' if you think it is.

[Shin]

It's believing and acting under «someone» else agenda/beliefs system.

You're only really free when whatever someone else says to you makes no difference internally to you, whether it's true or not.

Edited July 7, 2019 by Shin

[Matt8800]

@Danioover9000 Its all a concept in your head. "Authority" has no objective reality.

Chimps have hierarchy. In their chimp tribe, it is their reality. Outside of their chimp tribe, it is nothing. Its based on instincts of social animals.

[fluidmonolith]

@Danioover9000 Good question. I will answer with another question.

How do we differentiate between "deferring to an authority" and "verifying for ourselves"? What does it mean, on a fundamental level, to verify something for yourself? If you believe something is true because you have verified it for yourself, how do you personally differentiate that self-verification from what an authority may have told you? 

I completely agree with Leo's point that who or what we choose to recognize as a source of truth (an authority) is subjective. However, I challenge that "verifying for ourselves" is no different than trusting another form of authority. I am interested to hear how others think about and experience self-verification.

 

[Shin]

12 minutes ago, fluidmonolith said:

@Danioover9000 Good question. I will answer with another question.

How do we differentiate between "deferring to an authority" and "verifying for ourselves"? What does it mean, on a fundamental level, to verify something for yourself? If you believe something is true because you have verified it for yourself, how do you personally differentiate that self-verification from what an authority may have told you? 

I completely agree with Leo's point that who or what we choose to recognize as a source of truth (an authority) is subjective. However, I challenge that "verifying for ourselves" is no different than trusting another form of authority. I am interested to hear how others think about and experience self-verification.

 

For me it's true only when we have the experience, and even then it can be biased.

After that it's just a memory, for the most part biased.

So it's a biased truth which become even more biased the more time pass, which is still useful practically ofc.

So even though I don't realize what the Truth is now, I start to understand how you can't ground yourself on anything, knowledge, even experiential one is just so elusive and formless.

Edited July 7, 2019 by Shin

[Danioover9000]

50 minutes ago, Shin said:

It's believing and acting under «someone» else agenda/beliefs system.

You're only really free when whatever someone else says to you makes no difference internally to you, whether it's true or not.

   OMG it's you again! Where did you come from?

   So, did you really read carefully my previous post?

[Danioover9000]

12 minutes ago, fluidmonolith said:

@Danioover9000 Good question. I will answer with another question.

How do we differentiate between "deferring to an authority" and "verifying for ourselves"? What does it mean, on a fundamental level, to verify something for yourself? If you believe something is true because you have verified it for yourself, how do you personally differentiate that self-verification from what an authority may have told you? 

I completely agree with Leo's point that who or what we choose to recognize as a source of truth (an authority) is subjective. However, I challenge that "verifying for ourselves" is no different than trusting another form of authority. I am interested to hear how others think about and experience self-verification.

 

   Good question! I'll answer in multiple ways.

   In order to differentiate between deferring to authority and verifying ourselves requires understanding two axioms: 'direct experience is true' and 'all teachings and external sources are false'. On top of that, you'll need concentration, open-mindidness, and an intrinsic curiousity for whatever truth comes out of it.

   On top of that, you'll need to also be careful. I've noticed after the depression, anger and confusion I experienced, 4 years ago, with self inquiry I noticed there were parts of me here and there and then they're gone. Then the voice came on and off and sort of Consoled and criticized me through the aftermath. That's ego part talking to I. I discontinued the practice because it was too much, at that time my life situations were not good and I felt some anger and laziness. I ignored my intuition to not watch Leo's video on the shocking truth of enlightenment and to do self inquiry(I think it's called.) and the decision to watch and engage the practice bit my ass..

   fast forward to today, after watching Leo's authority video and contemplating it I had a minor mental thing pop up: not just all external sources and teachings, but the internal reflections of these teachings as well. Which means if you're not careful, you could give authority to yourself, or a part of you you are centered-yet-elsewhere-in-darkness, you know what I mean?

   So, how does this compare to 'direct experience is true'? Well, it doesn't! Any experience right now is different from the mind. Whatever is is true, but mind simultaneously adds on to it ideas, making it untrue. This answers, to an extent, your question about differentiation between other external authority to self verified authority. If it is not verified through being, but through the process of raw senses, mental interpretation, rationalization of this information and assigning a ego part to associate this information with. That's false authority right there.

   But! what if I done what Leo did, experienced enlightenment and taken psychedelics and became GOD and Infinity? Isn't that thing worth putting authority to?

   Careful! If you actually Experienced it, it actually is you putting authority to you as Absolute and no other, not to the you right now sitting having a lifetime of stories. Only as you're experiencing the absolute, you don't have to put authority anything but itself. However, if you come down to the you right now, that's fake authority right there! Don't forget, you unconsciously split, merge, fragment different selves to associate any memory and experience to, including experiencing god, such that it feels like god is talking through you, but it's actually the devil talking! Including the you that's asking about differentiation between outside authority and self verified authority is the devil talking right now!

   I hope I answered your questions there. It really is tricky.

   

[Leo Gura]

Watch the video and contemplate.