Contemplating Authority

[Identity]

Was just rewatching the episode on Authority. Am now 40 minutes in.

There are some confusions and nuances I want to lay out here.

On the absolute domain, I’m on board. God is the true identity. Looking for any form to validate absolute truth is silly, since it is a partial element of God. In the end, I am God and that is all there is. 
(That’s to say, I’m on board theoretically. I’ve had various experiences of becoming conscious of it, but at this moment there is little direct experience of this.)

Now, where things get murky for me is in the relative domain. It seems to me that there is more going on than saying it’s simply a matter of projecting out authority and in the end I get to decide what’s true.

Oke, now that I’m writing this out, it becomes clear to me that as long as there is the belief that I’m an individual ego, it’s a very tricky game…. What would happen if I were really fully conscious as myself as God…. I guess that would give me full authority, even in the relative domain, since I’m the one creating the whole thing…?!

Nevertheless, let’s lay out the line of reasoning that came up before. So, in the relative domain, let’s say I do identify as this body-mind being.

From that perspective it does make sense to have a sense of authority, right?

For example, I need to get my bike fixed because I have a flat tire. It would make sense to give the mechanic who has fixed 1000’s of tires more authority than the kid who has never done it before, right?

And let’s say, I would have never fixed a tire before and have no clue how to do it, then it would make sense to listen to someone ‘outside myself’ to gain information on the topic, right?

This comes back to the whole discussion on ‘what is understanding’. Yes, ultimately all language, beliefs and images are a mere subset of absolute truth and will always be partial.

But in the relative domain, there are ways of building up a mental construction that has resemblance of an object or process.

And in this survival game of relative mental constructions, it can make sense to give authority to ‘others’ who have created a more effective, more truthful mental construction.

To make this topic a bit more personal, the reason it’s so interesting to me, is because my profession is to be a trainer/growth facilitator. So I give trainings on topics such as leadership, softskills and personal development.

The game of authority is very prevelant here, not something I particularly like, but it’s a necessary game to play in order to survive in the business.

There are many authority claims I refer to, from my education, to experience, to sources, to results, to even the way I dress and talk.

I guess I am finding my way in navigating this in a balanced and relatively authentic way. 

Those are enough thoughts for now, would love to hear some reactions ✌?