Clear Definitions #1: Authority
Where does authority come from?
When you hear two people talk and one speaks with authority and one doesn’t, what’s the difference?
There’s a kind of pseudo-authority, which consists of talking loudly. And that works for dog owners and sergeant-majors. But, when it comes to it, everyone can tell the difference between someone who is talking loudly and someone who speaks with real authority. For one thing, someone who speaks with real authority can speak in a whisper — and the authority in their voice is still heard.
To find the root of that difference, look to authorship.
If you want to know what happens to Harry Potter and you’re asking JK Rowling or you’re asking *anyone else in the world*, then you’ll hear the difference. JK will just know. As she’s the author, she has the vision. The rest of us have to settle for having opinions. And opinions are great — and you can even say them loudly — but they’ll never match the authority of an author’s vision.
It’s like knowing what you want for dinner, on the one hand, or suggesting to someone else what they might want for dinner. I can think you want a pizza, I can insist you eat a pizza, I can demand you eat a pizza, I can make a watertight case for why it makes sense to eat a pizza. I can say it loudly. But I can never actually know if, deep down, you want a pizza. Only you know.
Authority is personal. When we’re talking about something inside us — whether it’s pizza-hunger or a creative vision — then there’s no invention taking place. There’s no opinion. It’s just descriptive. As plainly and simply descriptive as saying what’s in front of your face. I can say with authority that I’m looking out the window and there’s a tree there. And I can say with authority that I want a pizza.
Each of us can speak about our own needs, our own experience, with authority. And none of us can speak about someone else’s needs or someone else’s experience with authority. So, when we’re talking and when we’re listening, it pays to notice which is being discussed.
If you’re working on a project and there are a group of people involved and you’re discussing what’s right or wrong, start by looking for the author. Who started the project? Whose need is it serving? If it’s not obvious, just observe the conversation quietly and see if you can hear the difference. Whose voice carries weight even when spoken softly?
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