Authentic: to be or to become?
Matteo Tassi, Ph.D.
I help organizations and individuals become the best version of themselves. Career Readiness Coach
Be authentic!
We've all heard it a million times. “Be authentic!” "Be yourself!" “Be true to yourself!”
However, the very notion of a fixed, "authentic self" sparks a lot of questions. I was trained as a cultural anthropologist, and since day 1 at the university I was advised to be wary of the idea of authenticity.?
I still remember the first time I met my professor. As soon as I entered the room, I noticed the famous Gary Larson cartoon where a tribe ditches modern furniture before anthropologists arrive.
Yet another reminder, be wary of authenticity!?
From the outset, anthropology aimed to find "pure" cultures. However, we now understand cultures are dynamic, constantly evolving and reinterpreted. They are all but authentic.
Anthropologist James Clifford, in his seminal work "The Predicament of Culture", challenged the idea of a pure, "authentic" culture, especially in the face of colonialism and globalization. Cultural identities are relentlessly ‘invented’ and manipulated.
Identity is conjunctural, not essential. (...) If authenticity is relational, there can be no essence except as a political, cultural invention, a local tactic.?
(James Clifford, The Predicament of Culture)
Anthropological accounts, rather than being objective representations, are often narratives constructed by the ethnographer, influenced by the power dynamics between the observer and the observed.
In essence, the quest for "authentic" cultures became questionable. It's James Clifford again who refers to the poet William Carlos Williams who in 1923, evoked the agony of pure products.?
The pure products of America
go crazy.
(William Carlos Williams, To Elsie)
If cultures are neither? authentic nor pure, why should humans be? Why should we claim our authenticity? Does authenticity really exist?
I admit: at some point in life, I was captivated by the idea of a "true self" I could unearth. Something that could define my real essence as a human being.
A real me.?
This quest, however, had a major drawback: it made me focus solely on the objective, making me obsessed about ‘the’ authentic me.?
In reality, the more I looked, the less I could find it. Every time I felt I was close to discovering my authenticity, I saw a different side of myself contravening it.
I was stuck.??
Susan Scott, in her book "Fierce Conversations", describes an exercise where participants of her workshop must define themselves in a single word. She asks participants: ‘Barring all else, what is one word or phrase that absolutely and unfailingly describes you’? and then, after a moment, ‘Now think of times and situations when you are exactly the opposite of it.?
No matter how much we crave authenticity, we all have moments where we contradict our self-perception.?
The truth is, in different situations we show up differently. Our identities are fluid and depend on situations, relationships, goals, and power dynamics. And we are influenced by the context we operate in.?
The more we aim to act consistently with our supposed ‘real’ self, the more our attention focuses solely on the gap between this vision and the way we show up in real life. It is a significant risk.
No, authenticity cannot be a synonym for consistency.
Perhaps there isn't a single, fixed "true self" we need to unearth. Maybe the key does not lie in claiming authenticity but in feeling authenticity. It's about the journey of becoming, striving to embrace who we are evolving into and acknowledging who we want to become.?
The more we aim to align with the person we want to be, the more authentic we feel.
Authenticity isn't something you possess, it's something you choose.?
(Susan Scott)
Just by reframing the concept of authenticity, we see how authenticity comes through action and will. It’s performative. It’s an aspiration to live up to our values and get as close as possible to them. It’s nothing about discovering hidden treasures. It’s about unlocking our unlimited potential and fulfilling our ambitions.
Something we choose. Something we desire.
If you are in doubt, I suggest you meet Agrado. You may forget everything I said, but please take 2 minutes of your time and watch Agrado telling her story when, unexpectedly, she is called on stage to make an announcement…?
It is by far the best speech about authenticity I have heard in my entire life.
Yes. Authenticity is something we dream of. And it’s about change.?
'It costs a lot to be authentic, ma'am. And one can't be stingy with these things because you are more authentic the more you resemble what you've dreamed of being.'
Through coaching, I am discovering the power of aspirations and meaning to unleash our potential and feel truly authentic. I am discovering how large we are and the multitudes we contain.??
What does authenticity mean to you? How can we cultivate it in our professional lives??
I’d love to hear your stories. I’d love to hear about your multitudes.