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A paradox that will resolve itself.
The truth of people wanting to buy from those the know, like and trust has not changed.. the real winners here will be those who shine when the new technologies allow us to connect with the real and discount the fake
As a matter of fact, I've personally been playing around with my brand and exploring authenticity as part of what I stand for but haven't liked the words. Here's the tag line I'm thinking of (without authenticity in it.)
Align Your Strengths. Evolve Your Business. Enjoy Your Life.
Here are some words that I've played with in my process:
Integrity.
Alignment.
Live Your Truth.
Integration.
Seems like an interesting opportunity to get out the Thesaurus!
Melanie
Last summer, my coach took me through a branding exercise that helped me realize that my company brand was missing me. In other words, I was so focused on teaching people what to do, I forgot to insert a little Leesa Barnes into the mix. Instead, I copied others, copied their voice, modeled their business paradigm and I found that my message got lost in the crowd.
Now, my brand incorporates my passion - living an active lifestyle. I dole out online marketing advice in my videos while working out in the gym. My photos feature me in workout gear. My vision is to help a million entrepreneurs become more prosperous, more active and more spiritual.
Am I now being authentic? Sure. But gosh darn it, I don't need to tell people I'm now using my "authentic voice." Instead, I just live it.
However to change it, would be inauthentic of me.
So many great comments on here. To "try" to be authentic is a great paradox, you can not "try" to be authentic, you either are or you aren't. I like to talk about integrity, being genuine and true to oneself. That is my definition for authentic, and one I speak about vocally in my coaching practice.
Kimberly Englot
the orginal "authentic-life coach" ;)
And I'm with you - nothing about cell phones comes to mind in the authentic category.
In terms of SM application, the term "authentic" was our A-#1 SM Fundamental in last week's SMCHAT http://smchat.ning.com/ I think it was the absolute right concept for how we approach engagement when using social media. We debated alternative principles like "honest" and "trustworthy" and "real". But sometimes there's a word that just says it all.
Authentic - how you present yourself to your peers, with the objective of building trust, engagement & relationship.
Unfortunately, anything popular runs the risk of becoming a commodity in pop culture. "New". "Improved". I say use whatever word makes your point, and if it resonates with everyone enough to become viral, then at least you've got that claim to fame.
Great post Sarah, thanks for stirring the pot. We instigators need to hang together :)
Chris (@SourcePOV)
and that's the thing, my 4 year old daughter is totally real and authentic. she has no filter, and no other way of being. the other way is what we learned via institutions and socialization and our culture. now, we have to pull the "real" out from ourselves from under all that crap.
A paradox that will resolve itself.
The truth of people wanting to buy from those the know, like and trust has not changed.. the real winners here will be those who shine when the new technologies allow us to connect with the real and discount the fake
although "schmothenticity" is a very close second.
As a matter of fact, I've personally been playing around with my brand and exploring authenticity as part of what I stand for but haven't liked the words. Here's the tag line I'm thinking of (without authenticity in it.)
Align Your Strengths. Evolve Your Business. Enjoy Your Life.
Here are some words that I've played with in my process:
Integrity.
Alignment.
Live Your Truth.
Integration.
Seems like an interesting opportunity to get out the Thesaurus!
Melanie
I like the word and the ideal it represents when used by others to describe someone other than yourself. That's where the power and meaning come in.
Live Your Dreams,
Jill Koenig
Last summer, my coach took me through a branding exercise that helped me realize that my company brand was missing me. In other words, I was so focused on teaching people what to do, I forgot to insert a little Leesa Barnes into the mix. Instead, I copied others, copied their voice, modeled their business paradigm and I found that my message got lost in the crowd.
Now, my brand incorporates my passion - living an active lifestyle. I dole out online marketing advice in my videos while working out in the gym. My photos feature me in workout gear. My vision is to help a million entrepreneurs become more prosperous, more active and more spiritual.
Am I now being authentic? Sure. But gosh darn it, I don't need to tell people I'm now using my "authentic voice." Instead, I just live it.
After reading your intriguing post, I’m Sorta Over Authenticity, I find myself in great company, joining @ideasurge in asking, “How does one capture genuine, honest, and real in a single word?” If we can find such a word—a word with any chance to retain its purity—how do we keep it safe from commercialization and market decks? I am persuaded only a very special word shall do. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (aka, IZ), before his untimely death, sang a beautiful rendition of Somewhere, Over the Rainbow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGuuru7Q). One pertinent stanza reads, “The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people passing by. I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying, ‘I love you.’”
It’s an innate sense that possesses me to believe the answer to most any question we pose can be found in, around, or near ‘love.’ But that’s not exactly where I’m going with this reply. It’s easy—too easy—for us to say, almost nonchalantly as ironic as that sounds, ‘love’ is the answer. But love can be amorphous; when we are not looking, it conspires to elude our grasp.
Such is our determination with the word ‘authentic.’ Sadly, the same end has met another endearing term, ‘friend.’ Just who are these ‘friends’ shaking hands and saying, ‘I love you’ in this beautiful song? Are they real or merely an illusion? Do they fill more than our mind’s eye? It has been my heartrending experience many of our ‘friends’ who espouse ‘love’ are nothing more than associates and acquaintances, if not something much less, such as mere links and contacts. Seems to me the word ‘authenticity’ is not the only commodity to be exchanged for selfish ends. Alas, I digress.
If the terms of endearment that bring meaning to our life have lost their savor, where do we turn? Like all good things, perhaps it is best if we seek that which grounds us. Let us seek truth. Churchill said, “Truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it but, in the end, there it is.” We somehow know truth is never far away. In the words of Henri Frederic Amiel, it is “the secret of eloquence and of virtue, the basis of moral authority; it is the highest summit of art and of life.” What makes truth so appealing? I find companionship in its reluctance to travel alone. Truth is not simply a matter for our head. Confucius taught, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” And as we go, taking our cue from Pascal, we go in the confidence of knowing truth enjoins, or instructs, our head and our heart: “We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.”
You see, I believe it is the heart that introduces us to authenticity. It does so because within the heart resides both unconditional love and unarmed truth. Martin Luther King, Jr., the twentieth century’s greatest servant leader, teaches us truth and love, together, form “the final word in reality.” That suggests if we want the real thing, we must find ground truths, inalienable truths. In so doing, we find that which is authentic. And if it is truly authentic, it shall stand. The ancient Hindu scriptures teach, "Truth alone Triumphs."
True love. True friends. True faith. Each day, in each relationship, we distinguish the real thing from the illusion in only one way: by truth. So it is I humbly submit ‘Truth’ as a beautiful, powerful word that can set us free, not only from ubiquity, but also from mediocrity. Thank you, Sarah, for yet another inspiring post!
However to change it, would be inauthentic of me.
So many great comments on here. To "try" to be authentic is a great paradox, you can not "try" to be authentic, you either are or you aren't. I like to talk about integrity, being genuine and true to oneself. That is my definition for authentic, and one I speak about vocally in my coaching practice.
Kimberly Englot
the orginal "authentic-life coach" ;)
And I'm with you - nothing about cell phones comes to mind in the authentic category.
In terms of SM application, the term "authentic" was our A-#1 SM Fundamental in last week's SMCHAT http://smchat.ning.com/ I think it was the absolute right concept for how we approach engagement when using social media. We debated alternative principles like "honest" and "trustworthy" and "real". But sometimes there's a word that just says it all.
Authentic - how you present yourself to your peers, with the objective of building trust, engagement & relationship.
Unfortunately, anything popular runs the risk of becoming a commodity in pop culture. "New". "Improved". I say use whatever word makes your point, and if it resonates with everyone enough to become viral, then at least you've got that claim to fame.
Great post Sarah, thanks for stirring the pot. We instigators need to hang together :)
Chris (@SourcePOV)
and that's the thing, my 4 year old daughter is totally real and authentic. she has no filter, and no other way of being. the other way is what we learned via institutions and socialization and our culture. now, we have to pull the "real" out from ourselves from under all that crap.
More specifically, "Authentic" seems to capture the parts of 1) truthful--I say what I believe is true; 2) integrity/alignment: what I say and what I do matches; and 3) forthright: I am up front about things--don't hide the ball.
Was trying to think of what we said about ppl before we used authentic and it just seems like ppl said things like "stand up guy" or something. Not exactly the power of authentic....
You reveal who you are--I see who you are--and they are the same person=authentic
although "schmothenticity" is a very close second.
I like the word and the ideal it represents when used by others to describe someone other than yourself. That's where the power and meaning come in.
Live Your Dreams,
Jill Koenig
Suddenly realizing I'm not a mom. Am I not supposed to be in this thread?
Honest question - !!
When it comes to authenticity I love the word and I love people who are as real as you can get. Where it loses its meaning for me is where it is clear people are using it because it is a buzzword but their lives and how they treat people are anything but. It's just like people who say "I am giving this to you because I am very generous and that's just the kind of person I am". I'd rather simply experience it than have you tell me HOW to experience you, which is often what comes off when people promote themselves as being "authentic".
One of the ways I have gotten around it in my business is to drop the need to label what I do or who I am as anything in particular. I don't go around telling my friends this is how they should experience me. They simply hang with me and decide from there.
When I first started out I definitely did what I thought I was supposed to do or what would look professional and make people want to hire me but the only thing that happened from that was I got a ton of clients I didn't want to work with. Imagine that.
I wrote a report recently that I titled "The Authenticity in Marketing Checklists" that was really designed to help people bring more of themselves into their marketing. To simply tell the truth and see how it lands. (I know Blasphemy right?) But the word was bothering me so much I had to change it. My solution: The Wack-A-Doo-Free Marketing Checklists. Not a technical term, though I'd have to consult with @characterinc to confirm, but that's what I'm going with now.
Thanks for starting this conversation. When marketing hands get in the mix, there is potential to dilute many words that at once had significant meaning but we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. In my book, being authentic is still a darn good thing to be.
In Europe the term "True Self" is being used more and more in Corporate Universities and on the MBA course I teach at. But one thing really sticks in my mind about Authenticity when used to describe a person (as we know its also on products too, as in original manufacturer for example) - back to the person: and I wonder does authentic mean doing something or becoming something that expresses your full personality and abilities in the most noble way? My emphasis is on NOBLE.
Linking product and person is it then our highest quality? Well, hmm I guess at the end of the day whatever word anybody uses I will just keep doing my best to be 'me' and that will never be perfect but I'll keep working at it....so my choice of replacement is "Be YOU" or "Being Me".
Colin
After reading your intriguing post, I’m Sorta Over Authenticity, I find myself in great company, joining @ideasurge in asking, “How does one capture genuine, honest, and real in a single word?” If we can find such a word—a word with any chance to retain its purity—how do we keep it safe from commercialization and market decks? I am persuaded only a very special word shall do. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (aka, IZ), before his untimely death, sang a beautiful rendition of Somewhere, Over the Rainbow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGuuru7Q). One pertinent stanza reads, “The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people passing by. I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying, ‘I love you.’”
It’s an innate sense that possesses me to believe the answer to most any question we pose can be found in, around, or near ‘love.’ But that’s not exactly where I’m going with this reply. It’s easy—too easy—for us to say, almost nonchalantly as ironic as that sounds, ‘love’ is the answer. But love can be amorphous; when we are not looking, it conspires to elude our grasp.
Such is our determination with the word ‘authentic.’ Sadly, the same end has met another endearing term, ‘friend.’ Just who are these ‘friends’ shaking hands and saying, ‘I love you’ in this beautiful song? Are they real or merely an illusion? Do they fill more than our mind’s eye? It has been my heartrending experience many of our ‘friends’ who espouse ‘love’ are nothing more than associates and acquaintances, if not something much less, such as mere links and contacts. Seems to me the word ‘authenticity’ is not the only commodity to be exchanged for selfish ends. Alas, I digress.
If the terms of endearment that bring meaning to our life have lost their savor, where do we turn? Like all good things, perhaps it is best if we seek that which grounds us. Let us seek truth. Churchill said, “Truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it but, in the end, there it is.” We somehow know truth is never far away. In the words of Henri Frederic Amiel, it is “the secret of eloquence and of virtue, the basis of moral authority; it is the highest summit of art and of life.” What makes truth so appealing? I find companionship in its reluctance to travel alone. Truth is not simply a matter for our head. Confucius taught, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” And as we go, taking our cue from Pascal, we go in the confidence of knowing truth enjoins, or instructs, our head and our heart: “We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.”
You see, I believe it is the heart that introduces us to authenticity. It does so because within the heart resides both unconditional love and unarmed truth. Martin Luther King, Jr., the twentieth century’s greatest servant leader, teaches us truth and love, together, form “the final word in reality.” That suggests if we want the real thing, we must find ground truths, inalienable truths. In so doing, we find that which is authentic. And if it is truly authentic, it shall stand. The ancient Hindu scriptures teach, "Truth alone Triumphs."
True love. True friends. True faith. Each day, in each relationship, we distinguish the real thing from the illusion in only one way: by truth. So it is I humbly submit ‘Truth’ as a beautiful, powerful word that can set us free, not only from ubiquity, but also from mediocrity. Thank you, Sarah, for yet another inspiring post!
You reveal who you are--I see who you are--and they are the same person=authentic
Interesting comment Colin. In that sense, authentic isn't just being real or yourself--maybe it is even something we need to grow into becoming. Will think about that as I am not sure I have ever heard that angle on it...
More specifically, "Authentic" seems to capture the parts of 1) truthful--I say what I believe is true; 2) integrity/alignment: what I say and what I do matches; and 3) forthright: I am up front about things--don't hide the ball.
Was trying to think of what we said about ppl before we used authentic and it just seems like ppl said things like "stand up guy" or something. Not exactly the power of authentic....
I really like your blog Sarah!
When it comes to authenticity I love the word and I love people who are as real as you can get. Where it loses its meaning for me is where it is clear people are using it because it is a buzzword but their lives and how they treat people are anything but. It's just like people who say "I am giving this to you because I am very generous and that's just the kind of person I am". I'd rather simply experience it than have you tell me HOW to experience you, which is often what comes off when people promote themselves as being "authentic".
One of the ways I have gotten around it in my business is to drop the need to label what I do or who I am as anything in particular. I don't go around telling my friends this is how they should experience me. They simply hang with me and decide from there.
When I first started out I definitely did what I thought I was supposed to do or what would look professional and make people want to hire me but the only thing that happened from that was I got a ton of clients I didn't want to work with. Imagine that.
I wrote a report recently that I titled "The Authenticity in Marketing Checklists" that was really designed to help people bring more of themselves into their marketing. To simply tell the truth and see how it lands. (I know Blasphemy right?) But the word was bothering me so much I had to change it. My solution: The Wack-A-Doo-Free Marketing Checklists. Not a technical term, though I'd have to consult with @characterinc to confirm, but that's what I'm going with now.
Thanks for starting this conversation. When marketing hands get in the mix, there is potential to dilute many words that at once had significant meaning but we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. In my book, being authentic is still a darn good thing to be.
In Europe the term "True Self" is being used more and more in Corporate Universities and on the MBA course I teach at. But one thing really sticks in my mind about Authenticity when used to describe a person (as we know its also on products too, as in original manufacturer for example) - back to the person: and I wonder does authentic mean doing something or becoming something that expresses your full personality and abilities in the most noble way? My emphasis is on NOBLE.
Linking product and person is it then our highest quality? Well, hmm I guess at the end of the day whatever word anybody uses I will just keep doing my best to be 'me' and that will never be perfect but I'll keep working at it....so my choice of replacement is "Be YOU" or "Being Me".
Colin
Interesting comment Colin. In that sense, authentic isn't just being real or yourself--maybe it is even something we need to grow into becoming. Will think about that as I am not sure I have ever heard that angle on it...
Suddenly realizing I'm not a mom. Am I not supposed to be in this thread?
Honest question - !!
I really like your blog Sarah!
I hold both the concept and the word authenticity too dear to go cold turkey with you...and understand you're not advocating that if it would put me in a position that would compromise my truth.
I see authenticity as a process of fighting the good fight to become more of yourself (and we're ALL a work in progress!)
Authentic marketing is about extending this process to how you share yourself and your message with the world.
You say "escaping mediocrity" and I say "establishing pathways to excellence" or "creating your best life design"
You say words like crap and suck...(and much worse in person haha)...and you comfortably use them as part of your marketing. It makes me laugh when I hear them because they're so YOU.
The same words that make my heart sing when I hear them from you because they are part of your truth at this moment would feel heavy if I used them in my marketing because they don't reflect my truth. Others may consider the way I phrase things and communicate to be pollyanna-ish or full of sunshiny words...but that's me :-)
There is no "right" or "wrong" here. Just "you" and "me" BEing who we are.
Glad we met in the middle on The Rockstar Sisterhood ... and we easily did in part because of a shared passion to help others see that the way to greater happiness and success is continuing to get to know yourself and be true to your core self...formerly referred to as being "authentic" ;-)
In marketing and life, if you're not YOU, others who would like you can't find you and those who find you and think you're someone else will eventually get hurt...and walk away.
Mollie
PS As a psychologist, I can tell you if you hear someone say, "to be honest..." or "I'm being transparent here..."...RUN!!!!
High likelihood that deceit will follow.
I hold both the concept and the word authenticity too dear to go cold turkey with you...and understand you're not advocating that if it would put me in a position that would compromise my truth.
I see authenticity as a process of fighting the good fight to become more of yourself (and we're ALL a work in progress!)
Authentic marketing is about extending this process to how you share yourself and your message with the world.
You say "escaping mediocrity" and I say "establishing pathways to excellence" or "creating your best life design"
You say words like crap and suck...(and much worse in person haha)...and you comfortably use them as part of your marketing. It makes me laugh when I hear them because they're so YOU.
The same words that make my heart sing when I hear them from you because they are part of your truth at this moment would feel heavy if I used them in my marketing because they don't reflect my truth. Others may consider the way I phrase things and communicate to be pollyanna-ish or full of sunshiny words...but that's me :-)
There is no "right" or "wrong" here. Just "you" and "me" BEing who we are.
Glad we met in the middle on The Rockstar Sisterhood ... and we easily did in part because of a shared passion to help others see that the way to greater happiness and success is continuing to get to know yourself and be true to your core self...formerly referred to as being "authentic" ;-)
In marketing and life, if you're not YOU, others who would like you can't find you and those who find you and think you're someone else will eventually get hurt...and walk away.
Mollie
PS As a psychologist, I can tell you if you hear someone say, "to be honest..." or "I'm being transparent here..."...RUN!!!!
High likelihood that deceit will follow.
'crystal clear. precise. truth'
OR
F'in fantabulous rockstar with a kickass mullet.
either one works.
Here's what thesaurus.com revealed...
Synonyms:
accurate, actual, authoritative, bona fide, certain, convincing, credible, creditable, dependable, factual, faithful, for real, legit, legitimate, official, original, pure, reliable, sure, true, trustworthy, trusty, twenty-four carat, valid, veritable
My vote is for "bonafide" But if you are feeling glityz, maybe "24 carat" (that one made me laugh).
Hope this helps Sarah!
Great topic.
'crystal clear. precise. truth'
OR
F'in fantabulous rockstar with a kickass mullet.
either one works.
Here's what thesaurus.com revealed...
Synonyms:
accurate, actual, authoritative, bona fide, certain, convincing, credible, creditable, dependable, factual, faithful, for real, legit, legitimate, official, original, pure, reliable, sure, true, trustworthy, trusty, twenty-four carat, valid, veritable
My vote is for "bonafide" But if you are feeling glityz, maybe "24 carat" (that one made me laugh).
Hope this helps Sarah!
Great topic.
Heather
"Not being yourself is exhausting” Gary Vaynerchuk
Great article Sarah! 76 comments, holy cow.
Authenticity is just today's buzz word, along with it's cousin, Transparency. I must add them to my collection for a book I'm threatening to write called, "How to Speak High-Fallutin" As an ad copywriter, I've always seen my job as one of stripping away the $10 words and speaking plainly, clearly straight for the heart/gut. I wouldn't use "Authentic" if you paid me.
I think the word we're looking for is "SINCERE" -- which also means "honest, pure, genuine, whole".
Interesting origin of the word: comes from Latin for "one" (sim) and "create" (cerus, which is most likely akin to the Latin verb creare)
The real point is: If you're using the word "Authentic", you may already be putting on airs.
Be real. Be sincere. Be from the heart. Everywhere.
"Not being yourself is exhausting” Gary Vaynerchuk
Thanks for opening up this very meaningful conversation around authenticity, a concept so seemingly obvious but fraught with mis-interpretation. Whenever I engage someone who wishes to chat about this, I first ask that we agree on the definition - it's usually a deal-breaker :)
As many have commented here, you don't try to be - you just are -- like the two that got me to this site @adriandayton and @julito77. And, gotta say, doesn't get much more authentic than the way you've responded to each of the barrage of comments received. Rare. Kudos!
@uMCLE
Great article Sarah! 76 comments, holy cow.
In my opinion, no. An overused or misused word does not lose its power or meaning. As already stated here, look at the words friend or love. Both are still widely used and have a variety of meanings based on one’s experience. Yet, they are misused and abused every day.
The word authentic has been around since 1340 and was first used in Old French. It is not going away and just because it has become a marketing buzzword does not mean people should omit it from their vocabulary.
I believe people may lose trust in another person’s words based on their personal experience with that person. When organization X is selling a service and touts that they believe in authentic transparent community, yet they do not deliver on that promise, then people distrust that organization. They distrust their words. It doesn’t mean they distrust anyone that uses those words.
The word authenticity implies a level of depth that “being real” or “being human” doesn’t. It means undisputed credibility. Can you find one word that has that same depth in the English language?
When people have integrity and keep their words, people trust that person’s word even more. And the words that person use have a richer, deeper meaning. I would submit to you that not using a word doesn’t really gain you anything, except the loss of a word. However, if you live up to that word, if you espouse it, if you become it, if you live and breathe it, if you share it with others, if you challenge others to embrace it, if you invite others to explore it as you have here, then you’ve brought new life to the word.
Oh, I’m waxed philosophical again. Just typing aloud. As you can see, I love words and refuse to let anyone take a word away from me because they’ve abused, misused or overused it.
Authenticity is just today's buzz word, along with it's cousin, Transparency. I must add them to my collection for a book I'm threatening to write called, "How to Speak High-Fallutin" As an ad copywriter, I've always seen my job as one of stripping away the $10 words and speaking plainly, clearly straight for the heart/gut. I wouldn't use "Authentic" if you paid me.
I think the word we're looking for is "SINCERE" -- which also means "honest, pure, genuine, whole".
Interesting origin of the word: comes from Latin for "one" (sim) and "create" (cerus, which is most likely akin to the Latin verb creare)
The real point is: If you're using the word "Authentic", you may already be putting on airs.
Be real. Be sincere. Be from the heart. Everywhere.
Thanks for opening up this very meaningful conversation around authenticity, a concept so seemingly obvious but fraught with mis-interpretation. Whenever I engage someone who wishes to chat about this, I first ask that we agree on the definition - it's usually a deal-breaker :)
As many have commented here, you don't try to be - you just are -- like the two that got me to this site @adriandayton and @julito77. And, gotta say, doesn't get much more authentic than the way you've responded to each of the barrage of comments received. Rare. Kudos!
@uMCLE
In my opinion, no. An overused or misused word does not lose its power or meaning. As already stated here, look at the words friend or love. Both are still widely used and have a variety of meanings based on one’s experience. Yet, they are misused and abused every day.
The word authentic has been around since 1340 and was first used in Old French. It is not going away and just because it has become a marketing buzzword does not mean people should omit it from their vocabulary.
I believe people may lose trust in another person’s words based on their personal experience with that person. When organization X is selling a service and touts that they believe in authentic transparent community, yet they do not deliver on that promise, then people distrust that organization. They distrust their words. It doesn’t mean they distrust anyone that uses those words.
The word authenticity implies a level of depth that “being real” or “being human” doesn’t. It means undisputed credibility. Can you find one word that has that same depth in the English language?
When people have integrity and keep their words, people trust that person’s word even more. And the words that person use have a richer, deeper meaning. I would submit to you that not using a word doesn’t really gain you anything, except the loss of a word. However, if you live up to that word, if you espouse it, if you become it, if you live and breathe it, if you share it with others, if you challenge others to embrace it, if you invite others to explore it as you have here, then you’ve brought new life to the word.
Oh, I’m waxed philosophical again. Just typing aloud. As you can see, I love words and refuse to let anyone take a word away from me because they’ve abused, misused or overused it.
Cameron
Cameron
Too often "authenticity" becomes something we need to ADD to ourselves, which becomes, um, inauthentic.
Transparency is subtraction. It's about dropping the masks.
Too often "authenticity" becomes something we need to ADD to ourselves, which becomes, um, inauthentic.
Transparency is subtraction. It's about dropping the masks.
I think for me, just trying to be real, assuming that others trying to be real, is a given. Maybe it's because of the circles I run in, but it seems to me that as a culture, we are becoming fed up with facades and glossiness. We're reaching critical mass in our search for authenticity and real meaning, and longing not just to be ourselves, but to be accepted as such... to promote 'authenticity' just seems superfluous, and so obviously a marketing term. Kinda like "green".
I think for me, just trying to be real, assuming that others trying to be real, is a given. Maybe it's because of the circles I run in, but it seems to me that as a culture, we are becoming fed up with facades and glossiness. We're reaching critical mass in our search for authenticity and real meaning, and longing not just to be ourselves, but to be accepted as such... to promote 'authenticity' just seems superfluous, and so obviously a marketing term. Kinda like "green".
On the other hand - "authentic" is a word I've used for many years with my children to mean "true to oneself." In fact I looked back to read the exchange you inspired because of a conversation today with my son , now 21. In our many conversations, the word has gathered lot of context there too: used in conjunction with "listen to your heart" doing what is "right" "fair" "honest." "Aauthentic" and "authenticity" haven't lost meaning for us, only become richer through experience and exploration- defining our understanding of choices we make when speaking to the integrity of action and ethic. (It doesn't tame, but it does help steer essential, creative but wildly unruly passion.) We've never given up on the word in that context, and it seems to have held up quite well after all these years.