There are endless fields of knowledge in the world, and it is impossible to be competent in all of them. No matter how much we know, sooner or later someone will come along who knows a little more. But we often forget that there is one area in which we will always be the ultimate authority—our own lives.

Inner authority is the key to independence and stability. But how can we achieve it?

Inner authority can be built in two important steps.

The first is to ask ourselves questions about ourselves. Who am I? What do I think about the issue? How do I feel about this situation, decision, person? When all external circumstances, opinions, and factors are removed, what do I believe in?

The second step is to realize that the answers to these questions matter. Who we are as individuals and how we see the world will always be the deciding factor in determining our own reality.

The world always hinders the development of our inner authority because it does not benefit from it. Whether we are talking about family, universities, the church, science, or politics, everyone always aims to eliminate inner authority in order to impose their own external authority.

A person who lacks inner authority is easy to control. They will always go where they are told to go. They will believe what they are told to believe, obey, and change themselves under external pressure.

The presence of inner authority makes a person uncomfortable for those who desire power.

But how can we apply inner authority in practice when we are not competent in every matter?

Here’s the catch, because society always uses the fact that no one can know everything as an argument for imposing itself on the individual. But this is just cheap manipulation.

When scientists tell you that you must get vaccinated, there is no way you can study the subject for twenty years and build your own laboratory to gain their knowledge and authority to prove them wrong. This does not change the fact that you are the ultimate authority on what can be put into your body.

When the church decides to impose on you what God is, you don’t need to become a professor of theology. All you need to know is that when it comes to your personal relationship with God, there are no other authorities.

When society tells you what is right and wrong, you don’t need to try to gather more knowledge than everyone else. You only need to know more than others about yourself.

External authority can be a useful advisor, but the final decision must always be made solely by your inner authority.