asakura_yusuke A âprofessional authority figureâ who is regarded as a âintellectualâ or â[intellectual giantâ and makes a living from his or her authority. people.â This type of person is common among cultural figures, but there are also many such people in the business world. The source of their power lies in the fact that they are regarded as âauthorityâ themselves. People who are not quite sure what they are, but are recognized as âauthoritiesâ because they are called âauthoritiesâ.
They are often pedantic, and they often make meaningless statements in a definitive tone, but the more difficult the statement is, the more the recipient appreciates it. The more difficult the discourse is, the more the recipient appreciates it, because a plain discourse that anyone can understand lacks authority. If the discourse has poor practicality, the discourse will be exposed to evaluation, but if the discourse is highly abstract and has no practicality, there is no need to worry about it. It is their special skill to speak of word play without falsifiability as the hidden truth of the world.
Some recipients will claim to âbe knownâ for such discourse. This is because they want to be recognized as an âauthorityâ by aligning themselves with the discourse of a recognized âauthority. In satisfying this desire for approval and desire for authority, the âprofessional authority figureâ is a valuable presence. Empirically, it seems that many intellectuals such as high-level bureaucrats and large corporate executives, as well as the academic elite, have this kind of âunderstandingâ.
- Related: I am afraid of not knowing.
The authority of the âprofessional authority figureâ is further cemented by the support of these admirers. In this respect, the âprofessional authority figureâ and his or her admirer are in a mutually beneficial dependency or complicity relationship. Because the worshipperâs adoration strengthens the authorityâs position, and the worshipper can win the status of âhonorary authorityâ by being described by that authority as âhe knows what he is doingâ.
It is rare for a âprofessional authorityâ to have his or her legitimacy challenged head-on. However, once an ambitious challenger arises to point out the obscurity of their discourse, the lack of evidence, or the leaps in logic, they are thoroughly crushed. This is because, more than anyone else, it is the âprofessional authoritiesâ themselves who understand that their authority is maintained by being seen as âauthorities. Anyone who tarnishes his prestige in the slightest way in front of his worshippers must be beaten to a pulp.
When challenged by someone who questions their legitimacy or discourse, the âprofessional authority figureâ tends to respond with a flurry of idealism, using his or her specialized knowledge and rhetoric. They leave no room for the other party to interject. They will go on with their usual activities, and before the audience has time to understand them, they will intimidate them by saying, âYou donât understand anything.
When asked about the merits of the content of their discourse and they respond, âYou donât understand,â the point is not being made and there is no answer. As they have done many times in the past with the same trick. This is similar to the âart of debunkingâ of the anonymous forum founder who is a commentator.
At best, their discourse is composed of a vast amount of âeducationâ and clever ârhetoric. However, a closer look at the reality reveals that it is nothing more than word play based on cutting and pasting fragments of knowledge. Rather than âgiants of knowledge,â they are either trivia kings or quiz kings. I would call him a âknow-it-allâ or a âsophistâ at best. Rather than âgiants of knowledge,â it would be more accurate to call them âvain men of knowledge.
These âprofessional authoritiesâ often behave like hermits, detached from the world and critical of capitalism, but most of their income comes from lectures, training, and consulting for large corporations and other organizations. But more than that, I canât help but think that âprofessional authority figuresâ are really capitalistic beings, given that their authority is secured by the so-called âbeauty vote,â as it were, in the marketplace. It is a very well developed business model.
This is a summary of what my friend told me at the banquet.
ariyasu You rock post sometimes!
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