Challenge Authority?

Question

Authority unchecked is a terrible thing. However, authority constantly challenged is made lame. We need leaders and authority in practiclly every area of our life. How do we rectify this problem? How should leaders be held accountable to the people they are serving while still leaving them the ability and freedom to walk out the unique vision they have? (Which is a critical thing for a good leader...)

Answer 1

Good leader should have strong moral values. Also, a good leader need to have a strong mind of his own, so when the times come to make decision, he/she should use their own head...not become a follower and does what majority wants. I am not saying that a leader needs to ignore what others are saying, but listen to people, but in the end, don't put your self interest in making a decision, think of society and how it would affect country as whole.
I also believe if we elect someone based on the promises he/she made, if those promises are not full filled, they should be held accountable. Mere saying that there was no funding won't do.

Answer 2

I strongly disagree with your contention that "We need leaders and authority in practically every area of our life." Says who? Those who want to rule us?

We are all free, autonomous and sovereign beings with free will. The role of authority should be limited to dealing with those who do others harm. Anything more is tyranny and unnecessary.

The lessons of history are clear. When authority is challenged too often, the worst thing to happen is that it acts more slowly than it otherwise would. When authority is challenged too infrequently, then _100%_ of the time bad things will eventually result--sometimes, very VERY bad things.

The fallacy of authority is in believing that those in power are any better or less corruptible than the rest of us. They are, in fact, no more moral, no more schooled in economic theory, no wiser, no less greedy, no more altruistic or benevolent than the rest of us. And yet some people will put all their faith and trust in a leader, believing that they ARE better than the rest of us.

The American Constitution was the first in history to put significant and explicit limits on gov't power. It also deliberately reserved to the people the right to criticize gov't without fear of retribution, because the Founding Fathers knew the importance of not letting a gov't be able to do anything it wanted. And while our gov't has done quite a large amount of abuse and mismanagement, it has so far avoided the tyranny and suffering that has befallen other countries.

For these reasons, we should ALWAYS fault on the side of challenging authority too often rather than not often enough.

Answer 3

It's in the freaking Declaration of Independence.... it's what the Preamble says. That's what we should be. only, we're not..... huh. funny how that works, ain't it? The people should be ruled, by, well, the people. "Consent of the Governed."

...deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.


People who have the common man's best interests at heart, not their own. A leader should SERVE the people. The greatest asset a ruler should have is EMPATHY. of course, s/he has to be strong and make good decisions, and command the defense, and provide and feed the starving and heal the sick and hosue the homeless, and still keep the borders and the militia up and running, becasue we don't live in a world without WAR.... But I don't think any one person could do that all themselves... after a while, it all becomes a board of statistics, and we forgot why we came and what we're supposed to be doing.....

If GREED ceased to exist, then the world would much the better for it. If everyone had EMPATHY for their neighbors, and everyone was Children of God under heaven, like it's supposed to be...... but it's not.

It's a very fine line. One i'm not sure any human is capable of. At least, alone. One would need a clean, well-oiled system totally free of corruption. (like that's ever gonna happen)

But you need your generals to keep you safe, ones to deal with intrigue, one to deal with industry.... But what we all need on every gonvernment is a CHILD, to advise us. To make us remember what's important. To remind us that it's not just ourselves we gotta watch out for.

Answer 4

Sometimes, letting go seems like the easiest thing to do. But think about this: you've invested so much of your time and energy into another person; you've made a solemn promise; and you still know there's love, even if it's hiding underneath the surface. This website will show you how to save a marriage and avoid divorce, even if you're the only one trying https://tr.im/g54vh

Answer 5

This is a paraphrase of an idea on leadership which is at least 2,500 years old from Lao Tzu:
The best leader is one who no one knows is there.
A good leader is one who people admire.
A bad leader is one who people fear.
The worst leader is one who people hate.
When the best leader's work is done, people say: "We did it ourselves!"

Answer 6

I don't need to be lead. You are more than welcome to give up this ability for yourself if you choose. When you choose this for others you are making a decision that belongs to someone else.

I don't need authority. My belief system is of no harm to you. That you need authority is a commentary on the belief system that you are choosing for yourself.

Government is for those who choose not to govern themselves.