Position of Authority

If you know or care about something, you’re in a position of authority and power.

When feeling smart or passionate, folks often do think that gives them a pass to be a strong-willed. I’m sure I’ve done it too.

When someone talks to me about design, art, or music, I have to choose to be happy that they’re engaging with me on a topic that I love. I’m best when I’m super encouraging about their quest for knowledge on the subject. Talk about an effort over outcomes.

If not, they’ll hate that subject. They’ll hate how I deal with it. Long before they’re interested in the details that I’m super right about, they’re going to choose avoidance. Many people will be quick internalize this idea that they’re not creative.

Use your powers for good. When you’re in authority, you’re more obligated to be responsible. Authority is one of the most common social stressors.

It’s no fun when we come at it as show off or expect others to be impressed. (Unless you do it in a way that’s mocking that character.) Lots of folks are completely turned off from being creative become of these types of interactions.

This is why I often dodge talking about their people’s jobs. That thing you do all day isn’t obvious. And pent up passion can quickly become aggressive if not approached positively.

Same with sports. What’s not my kind of fun: Guessing about the future pretend you absolutely know what will happen based on bias for a team. Constant one-upmanship about sporty knowledge. I don’t generally find history fun as a subject and there’s all this history. I see the appeal of storytelling and drama in sports. The whole culture around it is not fun. I find a lot of politics to be sporty and team based more than reasoning.

Various online tests say that authority isn’t a stress trigger that I identify with. I’m pretty comfortable switching to a novice stance. I see myself as an eternal novice.

Most every subject is more vast than any one human can grasp.


Position of Authority

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