--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Authority is something that must be…" description: "\"“Authority is something that must be granted. As soon as people stop giving it, authority simply disappears. All they have to do is turn their backs. O..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/erica-verrillo-31643_authority_authority-is-something-that-must-be-gran_158616.jpg" --- # Authority is something that must be granted. As soon as… ![“Authority is something that must be granted. As soon as people stop giving it, authority simply disappears. All they have to do is turn their backs. Or laugh.” quote by Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/erica-verrillo-31643_authority_authority-is-something-that-must-be-gran_158616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/erica-verrillo-31643_authority_authority-is-something-that-must-be-gran_158616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/erica-verrillo-31643_authority_authority-is-something-that-must-be-gran_158616.jpg) > ““Authority is something that must be granted. As soon as people stop giving it, authority simply disappears. All they have to do is turn their backs. Or laugh.”” [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authority depends on collective recognition; when people withdraw support, it vanishes. **In simple terms:** Authority exists only while people accept it. Key Takeaway Maintain legitimacy by earning ongoing trust. Themes power legitimacy social contract Mood reflective critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political leadership - organizational management - community governance Key Concepts authority consent leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your influence remains earned? - What happens when authority is challenged? A Different Perspective If people are indifferent, authority may still persist through coercion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Authority Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-granted-1745966/) [Authority Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-simply-1745967/) [Giving Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-authority-1745965/) [Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granted/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [Definition of Trust: Giving someone the authority to destroy you completely, but having the confidence that they would never do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/definition-of-trust-giving-someone-the-authority-to-destroy-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Authority is granted to people who are perceived as authoring their own words, their own actions, their own lives, rather than playing a scripted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/authority-is-granted-to-people-who-are-perceived-as-authoring-their/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [What gives the Word of God authority is simply the fact that it is the word of God!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/what-gives-the-word-of-god-authority-is-simply-the-fact-that-it-is/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [Authority is not power; that's coercion. Authority is not knowledge; that's persuasion, or seduction. Authority is simply that the author has the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-kahn/authority-is-not-power-that-s-coercion-authority-is-not-knowledge/) [Herman Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-kahn/) > [And who can doubt that it will lead to the worst disorders when minds created free by God are compelled to submit slavishly to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/and-who-can-doubt-that-it-will-lead-to-the-worst-disorders-when-minds/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [This position is untenable, and there can be no pause in the agitation for full political power and responsibility until these are granted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-kelley/this-position-is-untenable-and-there-can-be-no-pause-in-the-agitation/) [Florence Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-kelley/) > [People are always casting me for what they call my 'authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hunt/people-are-always-casting-me-for-what-they-call-my-authority/) [Linda Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hunt/) > [“Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. In the matter of boots, I defer to the authority of the bootmaker;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/does-it-follow-that-i-reject-all-authority-perish-the-thought-in-the/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [“This world is indeed of our ownership, but the authority (over it) is not received. However much cleansing one accomplishes, that is how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/this-world-is-indeed-of-our-ownership-but-the-authority-over-it-is/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [In any given society the authority of man over man runs in inverse proportion to the intellectual development of that society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/in-any-given-society-the-authority-of-man-over-man-runs-in-inverse/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Obedience is the psychological mechanism that links individual action to political purpose. It is the dispositional cement that binds men to systems of authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/obedience-is-the-psychological-mechanism-that-links-individual-action/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [“The idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom. But the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/the-idea-of-authority-which-they-represented-was-associated-in-our/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) ## More by Erica Verrillo > [“Sometimes wisdom is simply the ability to recognize the truth, and to speak you heart, in spite of everything you fear to be true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/sometimes-wisdom-is-simply-the-ability-to-recognize-the-truth-and-to/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Until we meet again. There are no goodbyes in this world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/until-we-meet-again-there-are-no-goodbyes-in-this-world/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“His bark might be loud, but his bite was nonexistent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/his-bark-might-be-loud-but-his-bite-was-nonexistent/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Wars have always been with us, as have droughts. No, in the end, I think it will be greed that does us in. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/wars-have-always-been-with-us-as-have-droughts-no-in-the-end-i-think/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Carefully, she inched her way around Billy and the woman until her view of the rooftops was unimpeded by pompous counts with their sarcastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/carefully-she-inched-her-way-around-billy-and-the-woman-until-her/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“I hear lots of things. Those silly hens never shut up. All day long it's 'grubs, eggs, grubs, eggs.' I could die of boredom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/i-hear-lots-of-things-those-silly-hens-never-shut-up-all-day-long-it/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“And may my life be very long so that I will always be here to defend you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/and-may-my-life-be-very-long-so-that-i-will-always-be-here-to-defend/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Today, mistress, I will give you anything you desire. How about a tall, dark, handsome stranger? I'm sure I can find you one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/today-mistress-i-will-give-you-anything-you-desire-how-about-a-tall/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Apparently I am more loathsome than a snake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/apparently-i-am-more-loathsome-than-a-snake/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Nana always said 'He who will not follow the fates will be dragged by them.' West it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/nana-always-said-he-who-will-not-follow-the-fates-will-be-dragged-by/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Your courage, generosity, and honesty are what make you the person you are. Peasant or princess, it doesn't matter, for you need nothing more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/your-courage-generosity-and-honesty-are-what-make-you-the-person-you/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Well, you can't turn a crow into a canary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/well-you-can-t-turn-a-crow-into-a-canary/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Go on with ye! I'd never take a carving knife to 'Lissa's dad. I'd use a cleaver.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/go-on-with-ye-i-d-never-take-a-carving-knife-to-lissa-s-dad-i-d-use-a/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“Yer called Dock because yer old and gray and full o' splinters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/yer-called-dock-because-yer-old-and-gray-and-full-o-splinters/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) > [“It's amazing what a little bit of moisture can do. A little moisture and a whole lot of plants.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-verrillo/it-s-amazing-what-a-little-bit-of-moisture-can-do-a-little-moisture/) [Erica Verrillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) [Explore all 16 Erica Verrillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-verrillo/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) [Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Authority is something that must be granted. As soon as people stop giving it, authority simply disappears. All they have to do is turn their backs. 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