The Question of Authority

[Adipatus]

Good riddance of centralized, mandatory authority.

Today's authorities have to earn their authorities and not expect others to kiss their rings. Merit has to be the new standard of authority.

[tlg847]

It's quite a change for people of my generation to realize that some of us have waited to reach this exalted moment only to find it having disappeared! Oh, the irony!! Thanks.

[That80sGuy1972]

I was always an anti-establishment guy and never a label whore, so I also noticed this trend. I am seeing more and more people with my "rebellious" attitude surfacing (less and less are intelligent though).

Welcome to the Information Age... er... this latest stage in it. I'm a dinosaur, so the age border is a grey area to me.

I could rant a bit... but I won't. I will just say that this is a really cool vid.

[tlg847]

We dinosaurs have seen lots of things, one being that some things do persist over time, and some actually take more time to take root than we thought. Thanks.

[SupremeCosmicForce]

Talking about an old trend - greed. This is a negative emotion that can produce negative results, whether in the corporate environment or otherwise.

[SilverStarFilms]

There is another phrase... "the masses are asses". :)

[KlaxonCow]

"They must find it difficult...those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority."

- Gerald Massey, Egyptologist

This is trend is excellent.

It is the embodiment of Descartes' "Cogito Ergo Sum". It is the slow realisation of Paine's "Rights of Man".

It fulfils Jefferson's self-evident "inalienable rights". This is heading towards the culmination of the democratic revolution.

We should not fear this.

There is ONLY one genuine authority - the truth.

[KlaxonCow]

If you question the truth, it can never be found lacking. But all lies and deceptions melt and collapse under increasing scrutiny.

And I say that this is a good thing. This is the best thing possible.

We should not fear it, we should embrace it.

[KlaxonCow]

Any claimed "authority" that cannot stand up to questioning should not be an authority. Because if it collapses under the light of truth, then it was a lie. And those who lived under it were living a lie.

Yes, in glimpsing freedom, it's very easy to be afraid of it.

But this is what it is: truth breaking down the lies, which form walls - cages - that prevent true freedom.

[KlaxonCow]

It won't be easy. As old comforts and conveniences might be pulled away. As we might be forced to see that things we once believed are, in fact, not true.

But, if realised, it will kill all tyranny stone cold dead for all eternity.

I'm not a believer in astrology, but it's worth noting that "the Age of Aquarius" is one of universal siblinghood. A united humanity.

And this trend is towards that dream. An end to war, an end to tyranny, an end to the abuse of power.

[KlaxonCow]

The culmination of what men have been struggling to attain for thousands of years.

But let us not get too starry eyed - it won't be easy.

The elites can and are trying to cling onto their "old order" powers. And, in their death throes, they will be at their most dangerous.

And, yes, one name for this decentralised freedom, where only truth is an authority, is the name "anarchy".

But anarchy is not what the elites have always told us it was. It does not automatically descend into chaos.

[KlaxonCow]

After all, Wikipedia is anarchy.

Anyone can edit anything anywhere at any time to say anything they like.

From all we've been told, not only should it not remotely work, but it should be utter chaos.

But go take a look.

[KlaxonCow]

Sure, it's not always accurate.

Though its inaccuracy is often exaggerated, as independent research has discovered that "mature pages" - those that have been subject to a lot of editing and revision - are, on average, no more inaccurate than Britannica or Encarta or any other authority-based encyclopedias.

Not bad seeing as it's vastly, vastly bigger. It has mountains more articles that are typically much longer.

By that statistical measure, it's actually MORE RELIABLE overall.

[KlaxonCow]

Though, of course, with any information source - and Wikipedia is absolutely no different - you should NEVER be relying on only one source anyway. Wikipedia doesn't change that.

Anyway, take a look at Wikipedia - which is basically "anarchy in action" - and you see something very, very different to what the elites and authorities of the past have told that anarchy leads to.

Wikipedia's stated mission is to try to provide "the sum of all human knowledge for free for everyone".

[KlaxonCow]

That's one hell of a lofty goal to put it mildly.

But, take a close look, it is the closest thing in the whole of human history we've ever created to reaching that goal.

It won't be easy. Because while musicians have found themselves freed of big corporations and unfair contracts, they've also found it harder to sell their music.

When anyone can do it, everyone tends to do it. And in such an over-saturated market, it's not easy to make a fortune.

[KlaxonCow]

But you can make a living - and that's all you need to make. That's all we really should be making.

And it will be a great leveller - the elites won't remotely like it - because, again, truth and merit are the only authorities.

You don't get to number one just because you've got a gigantic corporation behind you, ploughing multi-millions into publicity. You get there only through actual merit.

And that's good.

[KlaxonCow]

But many will find that transition incredibly hard to take. Indeed, though it's hard to sell music, it's incredibly easy to get it.

And people will find it hard - because, basically, it's just things reverting to their actual natural worth.

It won't be easy initially, because not all folks are used to critical thinking. Of reasoning out which sources are credible and which aren't.

They're used to being spoonfed by authority.

[KlaxonCow]

And when authority goes, they will be compelled to think for themselves. Of course, though people won't necessarily like that, it is good for them and it is in their interests.

It won't be easy because you won't be excused nor shield from responsibility. You'll have to be your own censor. If you speak falsely, then folks can respond to you and hold you accountable.

[KlaxonCow]

You'll also run into idiots and haters. But we should all learn how to cope with that anyway. We should find our own ways to learn to deal with the world as it is, not as a lie makes it out to be.

None of it will be easy. But, bloody hell, will it all be worth it, in the end.

As is the Royal Society's motto: "Nullius in verba" - Latin: "on the word of no-one".

This is the silent revolution.

No revolution is easy. But it will all be worth it in the end.

"Ideas are bulletproof"

- V

[tlg847]

Wow...thanks for your comment. Only one little quibble. Wikipedia is pretty heavily moderated by a small group of editors, so calling it "anarchy" might not be completely accurate. But, to your point, it has, indeed, been revolutionary.

[Zea107]

I am an aspiring anarchist and I approve of this message.. well, in a way at least :>

But is the ultimate authority really in decline? Judging by the technological means of mass control (China is a great lab for that) my conclusion is that we're rapidly getting closer to both sides of the extreme.

[KlaxonCow]

Yes, we're approaching the decision point.

As I said, in their death throes, the old order will actually be at their most dangerous - as, on the brink of oblivion, what exactly do you have to lose anymore?

When you corner a wolf, you leave it no options - it WILL attack you.

If it does nothing, then it will surely die. But, if it attacks, then it might die or it might just get away.

Logically, if survival is the creature's aim, then it MUST attack you.

[KlaxonCow]

CCTV, ID cards, roaming Internet IDs, biometrics, licence plate and facial recognition, RFID tracking, etc. - the doctrine of "Total Information Awareness" - are their means of trying to get the worms back into the can.

They're taking a risk, though, because in giving up the pretence and assuming such an obviously aggressive stance against their own people, they expose what it's always really been about: Control.

[KlaxonCow]

For them to break cover and adopt this aggressive stance, then we must have cornered them. The killing blow must be within reach.

As such openly aggressive moves are a strategy of desperation - they are the wolf making its final last ditch attempt to regain a control that it's losing and fears will be totally lost unless it acts quickly.

The wolf is distinctly showing fear - and, ordinarily, that's absolutely unheard of.

[KlaxonCow]

But it is because conversations like this - showing an increasing self-awareness in the mass of the people - are now occurring on a daily basis all over the Internet.

The word "revolution" is being dropped so casually, so often, by so many ordinary Proles in daily chatter.

It is scaring the proverbial shit out of them. As it rightly should.

And it will all depend on one factor - will the masses want it enough to hold their nerve?

As I say, the decision point.

[KlaxonCow]

It's easier to surrender into the care of "Big Brother" and accept this new oncoming serfdom and Nanny State neotany, than it is to take responsibility of our own lives and break out of the cage.

As the latter is not remotely easy, as I mentioned, and requires courage and strength to face the fear, in order to kill the fear.

Does a critical mass of humanity have that strength and courage to do that yet?

Or have the mechanisms of "dumbing down" materialist consumerism actually worked?

[KlaxonCow]

I just can't tell.

Nevertheless, the cat is out of the bag. The genie out of the bottle. The idea is out there - and ideas are bulletproof. You can't ever turn the clock back on that one.

It might not be today nor tomorrow, but, one day, there quite inevitably will come a time when they finally lose their grip.

Their days are already numbered. That is quite inevitable. The only question remains - how big is that number?

[natem20]

communities of america should be writing active for a stable, sustainable, peaceful economy, for corporations to be more communitized as good citizens. We have all the tools to do so...

[LulzyBear]

Please respond to ZanyBear

[httprover]

Style has replaced substance. Perhaps too much mass media tends to erode our critical thinking skills. Delusion starts to take over and we become become victims of recruitment attempts. Suspicion saps our convictions.

More needs to be questioned than just authority.

[jonno52]

I marched against the Vietnam war in '68 & have always been proud of that protest against political "authority". But was it for the right reasons? We were young: the young need to be angry. Young people are not truly pacifist: the people most in favour of the Iraq war in the UK are in the younger age group. Older people have had enough of conflict. There are other ways.

Don't confuse authority with expertise. Distrust the medical profession, but who will operate on you? Babies & bathwater...

[BamaGravelian]

I think this is a sign of where we are headed if people don't respond to the abuses of power:

A Complaint Against YouTube

watch?v=V61xhz7_dec

My interpretation is that authority has not been destroyed, but rather strengthened through illusion. Each day we see a new scapegoat which diverts attention from the real machinery that perpetuates the abuses of power.

[BamaGravelian]

I think there's a lot of truth to these observations, but on the other hand I think a lot of people are becoming numb and the lines of authority are much grayer.  I think the standards of leadership have been weakened and there is less accountability these days. In some ways, I think this has actually increased the power of authority, as people are becoming more conditioned to accept corruption and are less responsive to the abuses of power. Rather than pound its fist, authority haunts us now.

[RadicalComedy]

Part 1~ BamaGravelian, I think historically, America has been a hush-hush nation. Accountability became a bold & public voice mostly within the last 50 years. Its not that people werent bold prior but the powers had to be protected. Many American presidents had affairs and it was hidden and the media gladly hid it. Now, we run to expose. Corporations were more corrupt before than now. Thank goodness for labor laws. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 2~ BamaGravelian, Neighbors were hush hush about the molester down the street or the man beating his wife. Actors and Actresses personal life was hidden, etc., The list is long. Hush hush was culturally upheld. I think one of the reasons why we have less respect for the powers of authority is society finally sees them as imperfect. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 3~ BarnaGravelian, he safety net to expose imperfections helps us to not think so highly of our leaders. Martin Luther King had affairs and was a good man. John F. Kennedy had affairs and was a good man. Some say Clinton is scum because he had an affair. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 4 and final~ BarmaGravelian, If the imperfections of our past leaders was exposed during their time, their legacy would have been written differently. Not to say that they would have been seen as a bad person but society and the press would have shunned them to some degree. Appearing perfect was a sought after illusion in America for many. ~Raven

[talk74]

When Jesus started talking people said 'he speaks with such authority' and 'where does he get this authority from?' it wasn't stuctural authority like the church displays today. he had it. because of his character, who he was. this is similar to today, where authority to speak and be listened to doesn't come because of position or rank, but personality. while it is unsettling to see old institutions crumble it is good that false authority is undermined. we need people of character not structures

[renettoBear]

Tom please respond to ZanyBear

[AdmiralBear]

Yes, please

[MGSGeneral]

There has to be authority, but like this everyone can grab for it. And that means the wrong people can get authority as long as they can seemingly do what we people want in general. I'm glad there are people with brains out there, but the majority isn't smart enough, for the smarter people who are up to do good and can achieve that because they have the brains, get pushed aside, because the 'dumber' people don't understand the 'smarter' people. Well, I haven't got enough characters to explain...

[tlg847]

Great observation, Peter. Thanks.

[ockteby]

I have other thoughts about this video, and I will probably post other responses at a later time. As usual you get me thinking, Tom. Thanks for another excellent video.

Frank

[ockteby]

When I was in the USAF someone won an award for coming up with the slogan "Zero Defects". I thought that was the silliest statement, but they had that sign posted everywhere. Someone in authority finally figured out how stupid it was, and they were removed as fast as they went up. I don't know how this relates to your video, but that's what popped into my mind.

[ockteby]

When I think about people in elected office being caught in some kind of shenanigans I thing about people who are hired for sensitive jobs. They can't do this to politicians, but if it's a job that requires a security clearance you can't hide anything. That's why I don't fault the news media when they uncover something. The government can't do it until a law is broken. My mother would say "The caught and uncaught". In the Governor's case it was the uncaught catching the caught.

Frank

[Aceswolf]

Great video and Views. I'm so glad I subscribed to you :)

[trgoblin]

The impact: Some situations, its a very good thing; but in moments of confusion and chaos, someone has to make a gut level decision - that's when leaders rise to the occassion. Key difference between leadership and institutional authority.

[carolperez]

smoke and mirrors discussion I think. another cliche comes to mind as well. talk is cheap. 4000 dead

[tlg847]

Well, I lived through the Viet Nam War, 58,000 dead, and I think we learned some lessons about authority then that are playing out right now. Talk may be cheap, but it's also powerful. Thanks.

[mixedpixel]

to me authority isn't only about powers but also about values. i think our society has lost its values. 'old' knowledge and experiences is aren't valid any more. most of the values that are important for daily life today are values that (in the end) support the existance of huge corporations and money flow. nothing out there to safe our poor souls ...

[rayofminneapolis]

I am 29 and was taught "Question Authority". Well I did and the cops beat me up. But now I know.

I am done questioning. NOW I KNOW. The new motto is REJECT ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY.

I recognize a true higher power, but REJECT ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY.

REJECT ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY

REJECT ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY

REJECT ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY

REJECT ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY

REJECT ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY

And SMASH THE CFR.

THANK YOU.

[battim]

hmmm...i think you mean in western society, right? go to asia, where most folks live...and all of the things you mention are an authority, even by internet savvy folks/

if i keep five starring your videos you're gonna have to meet my folks, its getting serious. great video. the world is flattening before our very eyes.

[RadicalComedy]

Part 1~ Power to the people is a beautiful ideal but it will never happen. People have to be willing to die and sacrifice much for the principles they possess. Most people wouldnt want to be that uncomfortable. Life is too valuable to them. I love the ideal of power to the people but majority rules even if its 51%/49%. The 49% is a huge percentage but its dismissed and rightly do. We live in a democratic nation. Lastly,....~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 2~ People have to NOT NEED any group that shares their interest. Its one thing to go and participate, its another to need it. Its like wanting a relationship vs. needing one. Its when we NEED the group that we loose our rebel. It takes guts to stand outside of the group you belong too and disagree and face consequences. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 3~ If your religious or an Atheist, the group that shares your beliefs, you have to be willing to "offend" the group if someone is out of line. If the group is social status, you have to be willing to possibly be kicked out if you stand up for what you feel is wrong. If your group is your peers at school or your job or even your boss, you have to be willing to be fired, not liked, and treated unfairly, etc., etc., which are all possible consequences for taking a stand. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 4~ Its one thing to open your mouth and take a stand. Its another to risk loosing a good job, your house, your peers or even loosing your life. Its not surprising that few take those steps that would impact their life significantly. I feel that is why injustice stayed so long in our history. I am sure there were more people who saw slavery as wrong but feared speaking up. I am sure that there were Germans during WWII that saw the killing of Jews wrong but feared to speak up. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Its easy to speak up on the Internet. To speak up where your life wont be hugely impacted. Thats all easy. When big changes need to happen within a nation, a neighborhood, a job, etc., people hide. I am not trying to sound negative but I have only known a few true rebels, where they were willing to loose alot for what they believed in. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 6~ There are so many emotional/mental/spiritual groups that each man feels he belongs too. Power to the people is only real if the people OWN themselves. Many will say that they are rebels and dont care, etc., but few rarely are. History shows this and people tend to be followers, needing a leader or the group to feel that they belong. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 7~ Its a lonely world when your not like most people. If you desire power to the people to be real in a majority one day, than looking beautiful wont matter to most of them. Possessing a nice car wont matter most to them. Dressing in designer clothes or labels wont matter to most of them. They can drive their pink Pinto, there unpopular look, take the stares, take the isolation and feel CONTENT. Too many people need the group to feel content which is sad. ~Raven

[RadicalComedy]

Part 8, final~ I know I went on an on but I am not very good at idealism. It has to be feasible to me and for me, Power to the People will just never be.

I do appreciate the message and no matter how screwed up man is, we must talk about change and hope. Its just I havent seen even a hint that Power to the people is even remotely possible. ~Raven

[rayofminneapolis]

power to the people happens everyday and it the major threat ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY.

The power of the people is why Military industry invades and straight genocides other cultures and blames the will of the American people.

If only we knew the true power of the people. And we do (some of us), and we will.

[RadicalComedy]

rayofminneapolis, I really do applaud your optimism. I, do suffer a bit with my lack of optimism these days but I would have to see the evidence of real change. Hell, the Dixie Chicks were considered UnAmerican for offending the "group" by masses of other Americans. Power to the people has a long way to go. ~Raven

[vancouver57]

Provocative and timely as always, Tom. I think there are 2 parallel but disconnected reasons for "authority" losing its influence. First, many of those in power abused the respect that their positions naturally gave them. Examples include: Gov. Spitzer, Sen. Craig, Pres. Clinton & Pres. Nixon, and Dan Rather. Second, in the media those in authority lost it because we now have many more choices than we did 20+ years ago.

[RadicalComedy]

Personally, anyone who handles the world politics brilliantly and helps to brings peace around the world, will have plenty of institutional authority...~Raven

[mikma]

mikma was here

[cambridgee]

far as I can tell the internet did not start a war in Iraq

[cambridgee]

OOps. and the internet isn't likely to get us out of iraq or get us away from our need for oil. easily shared information is a tool to increase freedom but it didn't stop laws which in real life limited freedom and privacy. there is a difference between what the internet actually is and does and what we think or wish it could be and do.

thanks Tom for a good vid topic as usual

peace.

[channeIreview]

The inventional of moveable type in Europe really was key to Protestant reformation and the Enlightment period in Europe. Through the ability to produce literature in mass quanitites caused a lot of authority to crumble. In a way the internet is like Gutenberg on steriods. However, what eventually happened was that Authority found its way into the large Publishers and Universities.

[channeIreview]

And I think with the internet at present we are finding that things like bandwidth and search engines are becoming the tools by which power and authority is seized. In Google we trust will soon printed on all currency throughout the world. Sure anybody can post whatever they want on the net but the only way others will discover it is through Google and the other demigods of the internet.

[renetto]

"Power to the people... cause I've got the power... my 15 minuets just turned into an hour... revolutions everywhere I can smell the fear... media moguls lookout cause were here..."

Renetto...

[OhCurt]

We've been discussing something similar lately at school; firmly held belief that Wikipedia is not a trusted source is beginning to give way, and the concern is that if the site is able to achieve as much validity as some are claiming, where does that leave the scholarly sources?

Good question!

I wish I had a hypothesis on this one, but by the time they get the Wikipedia debate sorted out, I will have run screaming into the night clutching my BA.

[vmanvand]

The Problem is anyone can be an authority now days and people fail to check them out. My mother in-law use to call my wife up to check kids for the latest childhood disorder. Because she saw it on Montel or Oprah. They said it so it must be true. Bernie Goldberg says the Mainstream media does the same thing with The New York Times. To me its a bit scary. As you know The New York Times Reported in the 60's God Was Dead, I wonder who check out the facts on that one....lol

[jboothe7]

regarding the consequences of the diminished authority generally, i think it leads to greater opportunities for disinformation as well as more opportunities for people to be entrepreneurial as people latch on to non-traditional "authorities". i also think it has the potential to be dangerous, because in the absence of traditional authorities, people may be more apt to latch on to authorities that are not as well scrutinized and may ultimately be harmful for them.

[jboothe7]

i think the research institutions are still considered an authority on things like scientific matters. people still respect them to a greater degree on such issues than just anyone making scientific claims.

[Marihani]

Authority or respect?

Many of those instutions have "dug their own grave" be undermining the basis for respecting them - government (possibly when Nixon was impeached), news by false and inaccurate reporting, schools by letting children rule and failing to teach properly.

Oh heck! I hate character limits!

[UrbanAndTurban]

I think this development in many ways is actually in the interest of people who want more centralized power. My argument here is that, the less issues that institutionalized authority needs to deal with, the less resources it costs and therefore more power can be taken by fewer people (the need for people in institutions is naturally lessening). The important thing i think is that authority is only given up by the people in power, if it is to their own advantage.

[UrbanAndTurban]

What from the outside seems as a democratic development, can in reality be quite the opposite.

[LilCav68]

Down with the 'man'...

Umm, you haven't had many meetings with a school district's superintendent have you?? LOL...Oh wait, let's not forget how state governments like to formulate proficiency tests. Now, the trend is to base teacher salaries on test scores..

Down with the 'man' LOL

[SanityMechanism]

Tom! This is Reggie, from LOVE in NYC. I like a lot of what you are saying, what I think however is that instead of entities losing authority I would say (just anecdotal ideas and examples from personal observations) that while we can say whatever whenever that we are not truly punished or rewarded authority has become invisible, not non existent. Look at the things that people are still controlled by. My generation is controlled by complacency! We have iphones and xboxes to keep us all happy.

[tlg847]

Reggie! Great to hear from you. I like the subtlety of your point: that authority is not gone, just invisible. I think the ease with which authority can be criticized makes it much more vulnerable than every before. When I grew up, authority was unchallengeable; today, it is under strong attack. Yet, order still prevails. As for your generation being complacent...well, you are a perfect example of the shortsightedness of that generalization. Good luck in your next chapter!

[silentfades]

There is no more "authority" as authority institutions you spoke of never ever existed and once questioned they failed and fell.

Marc in NYC

[tlg847]

Marc, I assure you from personal experience, these institutions DID, indeed, exist. For centuries, centralized authority ruled social interaction. Today, that is definitely not the case. Thanks.

[riverbasil]

Institutionalized authority was never really trustworthy in the first place, nor was it responsible. We look back throughout history at the great wrongs of the past, they have all been initiated by organizations of authority. Was this because of arrogance, stupidity, selfishness, pride? Whatever the case may be, as a collective of individuals there are some of us who hold the same traits as these traditional authorities. Therefore I'm questioning whether or not we'll see a significant change :)

[urbanblog]

Authority has been replaced by consensus.

[tlg847]

Ah, yes, a spokesman for the "wisdom of crowds." Somewhere, deep in my darkest fears, redound the sounds of the Weimar Republic in 1936. Those haunting images will never quite leave me. Thanks, Peri.

[marjan15]

re5pecta mah authorateee

;)

[ptbernard]

Basically in our culture we have divergent views that are accepted now because that "authority" is gone. The internet has allowed minority views on any issue to find validation. You find out that there are others that think like you. In the past you might have sought out validation of your views but you were isolated. I see this as a positive turn in our culture.

[RIPPPtheJacker]

thought provoking as always

[OhhhThatGuy]

Spitzer: very interesting case - my question through all the MSM's blanket coverage was this: Spitzer can't be the only big name connected with the Emperor's Club - why was he singled out and nobody else heard about?

Then I saw this video and many questions were answered:

watch?v=GMo7T9t0Gzk

Almost more interesting than the explanation of Spitzer's "assassination" is the mention of Bush's "friend" at the end of the video.

"Politicians WILL philander" Baz Luhrman The Sunscreen Song

[LilCav68]

Baz Luhrman's song is awesome..

[andymooseman]

I think the big difference now is that we openly question authority. Whereas in the past we blindly followed & believed what was told to us.

We used to respect authority, but we've all learnt that authority is generally no better than you, or i. So many times authority has let us down, or been caught with it's trousers down. Once that respect is lost, it's very hard to get it back again.

Maybe it's a case of once bitten, twice shy :)

[ARoboWizard]

I think it's interesting to see a parallel between this and your last video with regards to people expressing their opinions and being treated respectfully for them. In a way, I could see the [lack of] authority question having a lot to do with people's eagerness to criticize others so quickly and without restraint on the internet, whereas no one would do that to say, their professor or colleague. No, I don't think ethos is dead, I think it's still necessary to have your opinion carry weight.

[tlg847]

I believe you're on to something with this line of reasoning. I didn't intentionally sequence the vids this way, but they certainly relate. Thanks for pointing that out. The issue is: what will be the new source of ethos?

[Sabrnig]

The new source of ethos is RESPECT! Acknowledge my input: in the design process, when I review your product, ego is the emotion that drives us, we are not all famous we don't like the same things but if you can make us feel important for a moment you win. treat us like we are the authority- and you have a following- like cats ;-) you can use the idea you helped me come up with it, but I have to throw in I am an out of work consultant/futurist!

[mistaspot1]

There are still many bastions left; the scientific community for one (but that's waning), and also providers of services such as electricity companies and high-speed internet providers. Chances are most of us get our electricity and our internet from one of the 3 or 4 main companies.

[curtly99]

"Authority" seems to have an aganda either survival or profit. there doesn't seem to be a true altruism in this day and age

[funkwurm]

To me this means that there will be less of an elite, and that elite that used to exist, used to have the option to abuse the authority that they had. But now, when you can lose your authority easily, and a voice that might not be elite, but opposes something that you - as an authority - has said, makes that everyone with a little bit of authority, won't take the risk of being proven wrong when abusing this authority.

So the masses now has the power to validate authority rather then assuming it

[randomwritings]

The great cry these days is that the youngsters have no respect for authority. I wonder how that started - it was sometime around the 60's I think - so who takes teh blame for that - could it be the people who complain that the kids have no respect for authority? Certainly at the school I went to we were encouraged to question everything - maybe no-one realized that would mis-fire!

[WideOpenTuna]

It's an interesting question, especially the way you ask. I'm 26, and it's true that everyone I was told to trust has proved themselves to be epic failures in recent history. For me, the only authority I can really look to is myself or people whose experiences and opinions I trust. I guess that attitude can be pretty dangerous depending on the individual. I also like finding people who seem reasonable, like you do Tom. So as long as you don't cross me (j/k) you're an authority figure to me.

[solemnvole]

Things appear more dynamic, but whether we are processing towards or away from quality is a moot point. I suspect away. Hard to say, though, for sure - we would need history's perspective. And they might make something up to suit their own ends anyway. :)

[hellyersonline]

You're right I regularly hear people quoting Wikipedia these days rather than a "real" encyclopedia

How much of this decentralisation and undermining of authority ties into the comments of your last video about community?

community is the desire for people to be together, yet so much of modern internet drivern culture spilts us off into our own seperate enclaves.

The more we sub-divide the "mainstrem" the more we irrationally fear our neighbour.

great video!

[tlg847]

Splintering is a consequence of the loss of authority, I think. Maintaining relationships and trust across the fragmented world is demanding. An individual must work hard to do so today, while, in the past, there were limited options and, therefore, little choice as to how to communicate. The fears that emanate from lack of contact/understanding is definitely a consequence of this fragmentation. Thanks, Dave.

[Raven72563]

As long as you own the natural resources and lands

[kenrg]

It's an interesting trend that's at once exciting, terrifying, full of possibility, equalizing, invigorating, and dangerous as hell. By "question authority" I always took it to mean just that, "ask questions" - don't just assume that authority is always correct. But now we start with the opposite assumption, that all authority is false and is just waiting to be knocked down. Is the lack of authority the problem here, or is it the lack of trust? Perhaps we're living in the post-trust era.

[tlg847]

Trust is tenuous today. It used to be that trust could survive a hiccup...today, no. One misstep and seats of authority are negated. We've seen the movie and know how it ends, so we all skip to the final scene. That's why the Spitzer situation was fait accompli from the first revelation. "Good will" used to count for something. Today: nope. Thanks, ken.

[Sabrnig]

It is a transition from Dogs to Cats. :-) You can still train cats- (use authority) with their trust, consistancy, and rewards (see Wired mag. free is the new thing) You can't herd cats, they resist force, they protect themselves but are not particularly loyal. We will enforce our own ideas by choosing peers and with huge social networks learn from others- to achieve cat-like satisfaction and perfection within, no one is a leader, we choose to follow because we are walking the same way.

[tlg847]

Great analogy! Stealing it!!

[jrsnyderjr]

It is amazing. I do wonder how long this will go on before power institutions attempt to try to overtake this sense of the locus of control in the individual and not centralized authority...I hope they will be fought back. What triggered this thought and amplified it for me was the US election process and the change it has had on it...did it disturb the political parties plans so much that whoever gets in power will try to usurp before the next election? I'll think they'll fail but attempt it...

[tlg847]

I think the cat is out of the bag on this one, jr (see Sabrnig's comment, below!) and won't be enticed back in any time soon. Once authority has been lost, regaining it is a steep uphill climb. Thanks.

[jrsnyderjr]

It is a great analogy! As I stated I do believe they may attempt it but fail...I am also a product of the Question Authority generation and occasionally my doubts creep in because I remember "the sell out of the yuppies" for lack of a better term. Our generation seemed to surrender.

My education is history and social science and is why though I "still believe"...man triumphs eventually over power structures and I view this technology as part of the new hope.

(I'm also stealing the analogy!)

[sillysillytom]

I had not thought about there being "no authority". Thanks for your posts and keeping me informed and inlightened. I appreciate it.

[tlg847]

Thanks, Tom.

[FeXd]

I can understand your driving point, but something that I would like to know is your stand on credibility.

Also, what of credibilities affect upon authority?

Just because there are millions of people spouting on the net about topics, doesn't necessarily make them an authority on anything.

[tlg847]

I agree completely. I think credibility and authority are linked. However, PERCEIVED credibility bestows authority in places in which it should not necessarily be placed. Today, credibility cedes to everything from a Twitter tweet to a blog post, certainly not the most authoritative sources our culture has ever developed. Problem is, so many authorities have proven themselves unreliable that, now, skepticism of them is greater than doubt of the "new authorities." Thanks.

[anmoose]

You hit on a point here, Tom, that I was going to mention. Many of our "old" authorities have failed us. They've lost that power because they've lost credibility.

In the 60s, we questioned authority, and they gave us reasons to accept it. We don't get that anymore, so we look in other directions. We look to each other. And in this online era, we naturally look on the web. And we filter through the authority wannabees...

Moosie

[tlg847]

We still use influencers to help us make sense of the world. As soon as those influencers prove themselves unreliable...zap, they're gone. And, you're right, nobody even tries to convince us we should cede authority to old institutions anymore...mostly, they're lumbering along on the strength of history. Weird to watch, especially in media. Thanks.

[rlepine]

What a fascination observation. I've never looked at it that was but you're right, Look at the amazing popularity of Wikipedia. The content is contributed by and edited by the public!

Where this will go is hard to say but clearly the general public feel empowered. Will we be more critical about what we say? Will a world consensus on a topic very from reality? Will we soon believe that the world is flat again?

Interesting...

[tlg847]

Good questions. I'd like to keep discussing this because the implications of this new form of authority are anything but clear. Thanks.