Power ( Part 4 ) - The Power of Legitimacy
Dear Readers, Today we are going to discuss "The Power of Legitimacy".
This is another source of power at your disposal is the Power of Legitimacy. In our Society, people are conditioned to regard with awe anything printed. Printed words, documents, and signs carry authority. Most people tend not to question them.
I'm telling you, flat out, that as you negotiate your way through life, legitimacy can be questioned and challenged. I'm also advising you, flat out, to use the power of legitimacy when it's advantageous for you to do so.
What I've just said is so important, it's worth repeating: Legitimacy can be questioned and challenged. Use the Power of Legitimacy when it's advantageous for you to do so and challenge that power when it's advantageous for you to do so.
Here's an instance of challenging the power of legitimacy: Let's take an example Three years ago, the Internal Revenue Service called me in to audit my tax return. I had purchased a building, which I had depreciated over a number of years when filing my taxes. During a review of my return an IRS auditor claimed, for the record, that the building should be depreciated over 30 years.
I said, for the record, that it should be depreciated over twenty. Why did I take that position? Well, that's what I had on my income-tax return, and I thought it would be a good idea to be consistent during the audit.
The auditor muttered, "Twenty-Year Depreciation!"
I muttered, "Twenty -Year Depreciation!"
With a scowl on his face, he reached into his bottom desk drawer, yanked out a book, then thumbed through its pages. "Look," he grunted, "the book says it right here: thirty years!"
I stood up, walked to the rear of the desk, studied the page, and innocently asked, "Does it indicate the location and address of my building?"
He Replied, "Of course not!"
I Countered, "Then I don't think it's my book."
To emphasize my position, I pulled other books off a shelf behind him.
He Protested, "What are you doing?"
I replied, "I'm looking for my book - the book with my name and my building in it. "
The auditor said, " Come on, put those back on the shelf. You can't argue with the book!"
"Why not?" I asked.
He made a face. "Because no one ever did it before!"
I smiled, "Well... let me be the first!"
Think about the book I successfully challenged. Was it a statue enacted by Congress? No. Was it a decree from on high? No. It was IRS document, which was the product of a negotiation, drawn up by bureaucrats to interpret a regulation that was also the product of a negotiation. Since the book's position was the end result of a negotiation, the matter was negotiable.
Here's and instance of using the Power of Legitimacy. Allen Funt's Candid Camera has been a popular TV show for decades. The show is based on the incredible effect legitimacy has on most people, regardless of education or background.
In one episode, aired several years ago, Funt closed down the state of Delaware for an hour and a half. How? By positioning a large sign over a major expressway- a sign that simply stated:
DELWARE CLOSED
Lines of cars squealed to a halt. Vehicles pulled off the highway. Confused drivers stepped out and approached Funt, who stood beneath the sign as hidden movie cameras recorded the event. Scores blurted variations of "Hey! What's the story on Delware?"
Funt merely pointed overhead and replied, "Read the sign!"
The drivers frowned, scratched their heads, then tugged their lower lips. One asked: "When do you think it'll reopen? I live there, and my family is in there."
Obviously, legitimacy is extremely potent in our society. Tap in on its power. Use your head and tap in on the Power of Risk Taking as well.
Well, Readers this is what Power of Legitimacy is and our Next Part (Power - Part 5) we will be going to discuss:
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