I enjoy good movie quote, like the smell of napalm in the morning. The sad thing is, I haven’t even become an authority in quotes. I mean nothing. I’m pretty good with quotes from authors and philosophers, but a third grader could whip me in bible quotes. I’ve gotten pretty good a few jobs over the years. Even been promoted to supervisor and manager, trusted with teaching others. It’s terrifying the amount of trust people have put in me. Forty years of leadership training and experience. I wouldn’t trust me with a boy scout troop. Who knows what they would learn.
The phrasing of the question suggests authority is used in place of expert. The same applies. I have learned a few things though.
1- Anyone claiming to be an authority, isn’t. They have usually closed their minds and can’t be convinced anyone else can match their knowledge.
2- Expertise in one area doesn’t qualify you as an expert in anything else. At the most you can have an educated opinion, not even that in most cases.
3- Once you believe you are an authority in anything, you stop learning and growing. Why should you if you always know everything there is to know?
4- Lastly, most people who are well educated in a field and still searching for more knowledge are the last to speak and the first to ask questions.
I am not an authority and don’t know anyone who is.
The New Word Wars 