authority issues

Resisting those above

Authority issues describes a pattern of difficulty accepting direction, rules, or control from people in positions of power—bosses, teachers, parents, police.

Someone with authority issues may reflexively resist instructions, bristle at hierarchy, or distrust anyone with official standing: His authority issues made him a nightmare employee.

The term often implies the resistance is disproportionate or rooted in past experiences rather than present circumstances.

Related

control freak · power trip · defiance · submission · self-determination · dependency · trust · accountability · dissent · father figure · parental control · governance · subordination · chain of command · pecking order · autonomy · anti-establishment · revolution

Opposites
relationship to authority figures

authority issuesblind obedience

Compliance without critical thought

submissiveness · deference · obsequiousness · bootlicking · compliance

psychological disposition

authority issueswell-adjusted

Psychologically healthy and adaptive

secure attachment · emotional security · healthy boundaries · conflict-free · emotional maturity

behavioral response to rules

authority issuescompliance

Adhering to requirements

conformity · rule-following · obedience · docility · acquiescence

Family

authority, issue, authorities, authoritative, authoritatively, authorize, authorized, unauthorized, authorization

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Rated PG