Yet the word has come to be confused with authoritarianism, which implies control by power, often insinuating despotism. True authority has no resemblance to control or power. Authority does not control, it authors. In some circles authority is thought of as power, in others as influence. Such definitions are in reality authoritarian, implying that one group or person must gain control over another.
Healthy authority enables one to bestow growth upon a person or institution.
The person who acts as an authority is quite different from the one who acts as an authoritarian. It is important, in fact imperative, that we reestablish the difference in the meanings of the two words. Those of us who bear responsibilities for the growth and development of children should define authority in this light. In our daily lives, authoritarianism has replaced authority to a large extent. It imposes a template of conformity on people to restrict and control their individual development.