Human history has produced a wide array of cultures and belief systems. The way various cultures choose to live and the various actions and practices they engage in reflects the different commonly held belief systems unique to each culture. Although history has revealed a diverse cultural belief system, the distinctive characteristic that has remained constant among every culture throughout history is the presence of authority. However, the distinction which creates diversity among the many cultural belief systems is that each is guided by different sources of authority. Authorities can be universal, and serve as a general belief for a large group of people, such as a society or religion.
Authorities can also be personal and unique to the character of an individual.
Authorities can be obeyed by people who belong to a certain group, regardless of whether the entire group subscribes to it or not. Sometimes people conform to the guidelines of authorities that they would otherwise not because that is the price of belonging to a larger authority, of which membership to is preferential. There are many authorities that I am influenced by. These authorities can change depending on the circumstances of any given situation that I may find myself in from day to day. However, these personal authorities, which influence me, are governed by larger authorities.