Authority-Misinfluence Tendency

Munger's term for the tendency to be excessively influenced by authority figures—following their direction or adopting their views without independent evaluation. Milgram's obedience experiments demonstrated the extreme version: ordinary people administered apparently dangerous electric shocks simply because an authority figure told them to. In everyday life: employees execute strategies they disagree with because the boss endorsed them; patients accept treatments without questioning because a doctor prescribed them; investors follow famous investors' positions without understanding the thesis. The tendency evolved for good reason (leaders often DO know more) but becomes dangerous when authority substitutes for independent analysis.

When to use it

When decisions are being made based on who recommends them rather than on evidence; when organizational culture discourages questioning authority; when domain-specific expertise is being inappropriately generalized; when understanding why catastrophic failures often involve deference to authority despite warning signs.

How it can help

When an authority figure's recommendation or direction influences your decision: separate the authority's STATUS from their EVIDENCE. The practice: 'What is the evidence for this, independent of who said it?' In organizations: create psychological safety for questioning authority—the most dangerous organizational failures occur when everyone defers to authority rather than raising concerns (aviation's CRM revolution addressed this). For personal decisions: authority in one domain doesn't transfer to another—a brilliant surgeon's investment advice deserves no special weight.