Summary (TLDR)

In this blog, I will attempt to convince you that always being “authentic” is among the dumbest ideas to come from pop culture zeitgeist. People should be cautious about when, where, and to whom they expose their ‘authentic’ selves.

If you were truly authentic then surely that would mean you have to reveal what you are feeling when you feel it…all the time! You would say what you think and think what you say in real-time. Any dumbass can be “authentic” in a good moment under favorable conditions – It’s the non-favorable conditions where you should NOT be authentic! Authenticity and truth go hand in hand.

Your workplace, boss, colleagues, friends, frenemies, and family are not always authentic, …and you should be grateful for that! It might be that the only people who are always truly authentic with you all the time are anyone you know under the age of 6 …and your enemies!

After reading this the next time you hear someone extolling the virtues of always being authentic you can laugh quietly to yourself.

Whoever tells you to "always be yourself" is an idiot!

Dictionary Definition of Authenticity

Put simply, authenticity means you’re true to your personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise. You’re honest with yourself and with others, and you take responsibility for your mistakes.

Authenticity in Reality

All human beings have three lives: public, private, and secret. 
#filter-yourself

1. Surely only a fool would reveal their shadow self at the moment a wave of emotion is experienced. Imagine revealing these uncontrollable “authentic” emotions in real-time: love, lust, desire, anger, resentment, jealousy, envy, contempt, etc.
2. I prefer the carefully curated BS image you present to me. I don’t want to know the authentic you, and if you knew the authentic me you would never speak to me again!
3. Imagine an “Authentic” Sales Rep, Doctor, Lawyer, Realtor, Teacher, Mentor, Tradie, Marriage Councilor, etc. If you knew what they were thinking during a consult…yikes! What about an authentic Radio DJ lol.
4. We romanticize aspects of ourselves we probably shouldn’t and we archive painful memories. I don’t want you to know all my “authentic” secrets and I sure AF don’t want to know yours. 

Homophily Groups

Only a fool (or naive leftie) loves everybody within a homophily group they belong to or support. e.g. I'm a man so I love all 4 billion men. I'm a women so I love all women. I'm gay so I love all gay people. I'm indigenous so I love all indigenous people.

Homophily is attaching yourself to groups of people with similar characteristics. You might show just one of your so-called “authentic” faces to your dating group, church group, drinking group, family group, drug-taking group, political views group, etc. But none of these groups gets to really experience the true “authentic” you.

I think a good way to measure who your true close friends are is by asking yourself which ones know the most about you in each of these different groups.

Authenticity in Social Media

Most Social Media photos and pages are carefully curated to present just the best side of that person, business, influencer, politician, religious leader, etc. If they were truly “authentic” imagine what laughable truths, or horrors you might see.

Authenticity in Dating

Authenticity in Politics / Politicians

Hey, family I want to be authentic and tell you about my dark thoughts, addictions, jealousies, envy, and how many times each of you has annoyed me.

Authenticity in Religion

Authenticity with Friends

• Imagine if the public knew what really goes into making the sausage lol.

Clothing Industry

• Sweatshops

Marketing Industry

• Social Engineering, Manipulation, Memetic Desire, etc.

 

Authenticity in Mental Health

Hey, work I’m authentic so I’ll tell you now that I am often depressed, I have big mood swings, I’m often medicated, and I can’t function easily with work, colleagues, or customers.

Authenticity in Job Interviews

I need you to know I prioritize myself over work. I get triggered by underperforming colleagues. I like the occasional long lunch. I am mostly 30% nonproductive. Once I’m effective at my job I will mostly do the bare minimum to get by. I don’t do any self-study to improve my work skills.  I complain about things I can fix. …now when do I start, and would it be rude to ask for a corner office?

Authenticity in the Workplace (Moral Grandstanding)

Imagine if your boss asks you to do something you don’t want to…should you give them an “authentic” response each time lol? Here’s some “being authentic” BS we hear in the workplace.

“All Ideas are welcome” But only if they fit into our existing worldview or narrative, and if they are too different you’ll be talking to HR.

“We care” You are nothing more than a resource in a mutually exploitive symbiotic relationship, and to claim otherwise is just naivety or narcissism. If your company needs to get rid of you because of sufficient stressors then they absolutely will.

Don’t break the 4th wall

The third and fourth wall is a term used in the theatre industry where a character talks to the viewer directly and reveals an “authentic” moment. It seems a good metaphor for acting out your life in front of others. I don’t want a doctor to have an “authentic” moment and reveal that they are inexperienced, or not properly trained. No, I want them to maintain the illusion and pretend they are the best in the industry so I can also pretend I’m getting the best health care.

Conclusion

1. Every person has at least 3 identities Public, Private, and Secret. You should show a filtered version of yourself in each. 
2. A person who is centred on themselves cares less about what others think, and so is perhaps more authentic.
3. An authentic person does not concern themselves so much with Conspicuous Consumption /Veblen goods or dressing and behaving in a way that appeases others.

True authenticity should mean recognizing that you wear different masks with different people at different times. It means exposing weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and failures. It means filtering, controlling, and regulating how you display your real-time emotions to present the best part of yourself at any given moment.

Wearing different masks is good and to not do so would lead to mental exhaustion….

Addendum:

Is not revealing yourself actually revealing yourself?

See my next blog: Whucoff I’m not writing any more on this topic.