#Authority

Inner Stillness as the Truest Source of Authority

At first glance, Epictetus’s statement shifts authority away from status, applause, or force and places it within the self. As a Stoic philosopher, Epictetus taught in the Discourses (2nd century AD) that freedom begins...

Self-Mastery or Submission to Another’s Will

Nietzsche’s line presents a stark warning: if a person cannot govern his own impulses, habits, and fears, someone or something else will do the governing for him. In that sense, obedience is never absent; it merely shift...

Power Dynamics: Navigating Between Affection and Fear

Machiavelli’s famous assertion, drawn from his political treatise ‘The Prince’ (1532), foregrounds his pragmatic approach to leadership. Rather than viewing rulers as moral exemplars, he contends that effectiveness outwe...

Nothing Strengthens Authority So Much as Silence — Leonardo da Vinci

This quote highlights the strategic value of silence in maintaining authority. By not revealing everything, people in positions of power can project an aura of control and wisdom.