Authenticity is a word with several meanings, and (not only for the purpose of this blog) it’s helpful to define what I mean when I talk about authenticity. Wikipedia and Wiktionary are (always) a good starting point, if in need of clarification or definition, so we’ll hop on over to see what they’ve got for us.
- The quality of being authentic or of established authority for truth and correctness.
- Genuineness; the quality of being genuine or not corrupted from the original.
- Truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, and intentions; not a copy or forgery.
Wikipedia: Authenticity (Philosophy)
Authenticity is a technical term in existentialist philosophy. In this philosophy, the conscious self is seen as coming to terms with being in a material world and with encountering external forces, pressures and influences which are very different from, and other than, itself. Authenticity is the degree to which one is true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character, despite these pressures.
Wikipedia: Authenticity (Psychology)
“Authenticity” in psychology refers to psychological concept in which the individual derives gratification and positive emotions from exercising signature strengths.
Following the reference-link for this article, I found this little piece of information on Authentic Life:
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) believed that we are free to choose the nature of our own existence. It is essential, though, that we accept the fact that our existence is finite; only then can we lead an authentic life, exercising our personal freedom to create a meaningful existence and continually grow (becoming). The alternative is to live an inauthentic life, give up our freedom, pretend, accept conventionality, and be concerned only with the present. Most people don’t exercise their personal freedom, and consequently they experience guilt. Leading an authentic life minimizes guilt. But, leading an authentic life also takes courage, as our life becomes filled with uncertainty. We experience anxiety, first because we are experimenting with life and second because we must take responsibility for the consequences of our choices.
So what does this bring us? Well we’ve learned that authenticity is about:
- being genuine
- being true to one’s personality, spirit or character.
We’ve also learned that:
- it’s hard
- it takes courage
- it brings uncertainty and anxiety
- we have to accept that our existence is finite
- we have to take responsibility for our choices
And we’ve learned that the rewards are most gratifying:
- personal freedom
- meaningful existence
- continuous growth
So in a cost-benefit assessment, do we want to be authentic? Well it costs a lot, but the rewards to me are invaluable, so my answer is a full-blown YES! I can’t answer it for you (that’s what philosophers try to do, I don’t consider myself to be one). Only you can answer that question for you. And, as you’ve apparently read this article all the way down, my guess would be that you answer is gonna be yes as well.
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You can be an Original too!