Authenticity! Does It Really Exist or Is It a Perception Game?
Authenticity! Does It Really Exist or Is It a Perception Game? ??
Everyone talks about authenticity, they say “be yourself” ??♂?, they say “throw away the masks ??”. But when it comes to asking what it really means, most people hesitate ??♀?. I guess you must have noticed this, because I asked a partner a simple question: “What exactly does authenticity mean?” And of course he didn't answer ??.
Maybe this is the real issue. Does authenticity really exist or is it just a loaded marketing rhetoric? ??
Is everyone authentic or is no one authentic? ??
Who is truly authentic? More importantly, when is a person authentic? When he is breaking down the work ??? When talking to his/her boss ??? When we are sharing social posts ??? When we have a different face to his/her stress ??, which authentic are we?
Of course, everyone today has a version of “my most natural self” ??. But the funny thing is that even that most natural me is a fiction, a choice ??♂?. Products that say ?? “This is who I am!” on Instagram. Even the most natural photo can be taken 17 times and selected as the best ??. What is marketed as “transparent leadership” in the business world can actually be a well-designed strategy ??.
Is being authentic, looking the way you are? Or is it presenting the version that technology can see as “natural”? ?? If everyone is authentic, no one is truly authentic.
Reality Expectation: Nothing but an Action-Response Loop ??.
Let's say there is no such thing as authenticity. Or what kind of action-reaction balance works in a large number of people? ??
Imagine what would happen if everyone acted the way they really are? Let's say you went to work and said, “I will come back today very motivated ??.” Or you went to a friend and said, “He doesn't care about me at all, but I'm still waiting here.” Nobody wants to experience something like that ??.
What is expected is that you are appropriately authentic ?. Professional at work ??, cute on social media ??, fun with friends ??... So you can be authentic, but others decide where and how authentic you are ??♀?.
Is Authenticity a Myth? ??
When someone lectures about authenticity, I like to ask: “Really? What are the conditions for authenticity?” The answer is usually either circular sentences ?? or silence ??. Because nobody really knows what authenticity is.
If it really existed, there would be no need to try so hard ??. But so-called authenticity, no matter how much people change, may not be a real concept, just a perception management game ??.
Reality or Credibility? ??
Maybe the real issue here is not whether a person is sincere or not, but whether they are reliable and consistent ??.
If the person's relationship to these overlaps, if they don't try to hide who they are and remain open in a different way, maybe that's the real thing ??.
In conclusion, authenticity is not a trait but a marker in every field ??. It makes you feel how real you are and if people don't perceive you as “real” ??, then we cannot talk about authenticity.
Is it possible to be truly authentic, or is it just a matter of well-managed perception? ??
Yal??n Y?ld?z