People lose all sense of power and confidence when confronted by the sacredness of external authority. They feel small and powerless in comparison to it. No external authority is sacred by itself, but because we declare it sacred and bend our knees before it. We think of these things as unapproachable, not to be touched, beyond our power to influence or change. In other words we make them sacred!
Little kids and animals have no idea of what is sacred or not sacred. They have to be taught what is good and bad because they don’t understand the distinction or the difference. So they are taught to fear punishment and taught to respect the sacred and their elders. They are made to realize and believe that adults have the power and the right to determine what is right and what is wrong. They learn as children that they must yield to the external authority of adults. As adults we simply transfer that dominion over to some other external authority which we in turn serve. Yet even children mature enough to the point that one day they demand to be treated as adults.
This idea of fear is twisted into a form of servile honor and respect such as God-fearing and parental respect. When we find ourselves captured by a fear that we can’t escape we become captive to it, devoted to it, belong to it and finally don’t even try to become free of it anymore. Often we even learn to love it! We learn to love our masters like our pet dog loves us! This even sounds like some marriages!
Religion is based upon our fear of dying but all through time there have been martyrs willing to die for things that they believe in strongly. They are the true individuals and they are the ones that have transformed humanity! History is made by individuals, not by the docile masses.
We are always told that power is held by the group, by the people. This has been taught to us so convincingly that we no longer even doubt it. The average person doesn’t dare even consider going against what is politically correct! But there is something we are not being told and it’s time to state it very plainly and openly.
The individual has just as much power as the group does! It doesn’t have any more power, but it doesn’t have any less power. Major changes within our civilization and within our society have always been because of the actions of small groups of people and individuals, not consensus of the masses as we have been taught. So are you going to let a small group of individuals determine what you can and can’t do in life? Or are you going to stand up for what you believe and feel in your heart? Are you going to follow the inner guidance of your heart and conscience or the external authority of popular belief?
Anarchistbanjo's World 
I’ve always listened to this “voice” a deep urging that made no sense for years. What was it driving me to? Being true to it left me never signing up, or putting my thoughts into a belief. For years. And then it all cracked open and it’s urging came into focus. The authority is inside. We reach the All by way of our gift which is this bridge. And who knows how long it takes for the world to catch on. And maybe that isn’t necessarily the point…like a great cosmic spinning door where a few get it and move on…graduating. I do like the idea of some of its sweetness rubbing off here, though. I’d like to think we can have it both ways. We’ll see, I guess..