Authenticity in the world of hazy reality!

By far if we need to achieve prosperity for humanity in the future number one achievement from my point of view is the psychological safety and this is a big dream for creating a world free from biases and insecurities however this is practically difficult for many intrinsic reasons built in during the evolution of life, humanity on earth and even the universe itself.??

This is a very rich and wide topic however I like to shed the light on one trait that is essential in achieving such dream which is authenticity specially in a world of open communication of a lot of affirmations for non-scientifically proven information that causes reality to become hazy, affirming and creating a lot of illusions however at the same time breaking down the walls between cultures and mindsets.??

?So what is authenticity in particular?

?"It can seem that there are as many different definitions of authenticity as there are psychologists, philosophers, and scholars. However, a common definition is that being authentic is living your life according to your own values and goals, rather than those of other people.?Put simply, authenticity means you're true to your own 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. Your values, ideals, and actions align. As a result, you come across as genuine, and you're willing to accept the consequences of being true to what you consider to be right.?

Note: Honesty is an important part of authenticity. However, there's a distinct difference between being brutally honest and being truthful with others.?In her 1994 book "The Dance of Deception," psychologist Dr. Harriet Lerner distinguishes between these concepts. She states that honesty can sometimes represent our uncensored thoughts and feelings, while truth requires tact, timing, kindness, and empathy with the other person.?We should always strive to be truthful with those around us, since others sometimes view brutal honesty as aggressive, judgmental, or even arrogant. Uncensored honesty can also jeopardize our relationships and careers.?

?Developing authenticity is a lifelong journey. To get started, take the following steps:?

1. Identify your values.?
2. Identify who you want to be.?
3. Live with integrity.?
4. Communicate honestly.?
5. Don't make assumptions.?
6. Develop self-confidence.?
7. Manage your emotions.?

"?Authenticity - How to Be True to Yourself (mindtools.com)? ?

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Social media impact on perceived reality:?

?However developing authenticity in an age where reality is hazy and even distorted is super tough thing and needs warrior spirit.??

"We as humans are decision making machines. We spend our lives capturing and storing information about our world and using that information to build detailed mental models. We start from the moment we are born. We sense and explore our surroundings, and we test and model our experiences. We keep building these models until we can accurately predict how our own actions, and the actions of others, will impact our future.?In 2021, the Aspen Institute commissioned?a six-month study ?that drew even darker conclusions. The report concluded that the misinformation and disinformation propagated by social media create “a chain reaction of harm,” acting as a “force multiplier for exacerbating our worst problems as a society.?Political scientists define?the public sphere ?as?the arena in which individuals come together to share issues of importance, exchanging opinions through discussion and deliberation.?It is within the public sphere that society develops an understanding of ourselves — our collective wisdom.?Social media has distorted the public sphere?beyond recognition. Each of us now has a deeply flawed mental model of our own communities. This damages our collective wisdom, but it is not the content itself that is most responsible. We must instead blame the machinery of distribution.?"?The problem with social media is not content but its distortion of reality - Big Think ?

?AI deepfake impact on perceived reality:??

?"Artificial intelligence is quickly getting better at mimicking reality, raising big questions over how to regulate it. And as tech companies unleash the ability for?anyone to create fake images , synthetic audio and video, and text that sounds convincingly human, even experts admit they're stumped.?There's no silver bullet for distinguishing AI-generated content from that made by humans.?Technical solutions do exist, like software that can detect AI output, and AI tools that watermark the images or text they produce.?Sorting fact from AI fiction requires people to be savvier media consumers, though it doesn't mean reinventing the wheel. Propaganda, medical misinformation and false claims about elections are problems that predate AI.?"We should be looking at the various ways of mitigating these risks that we already have and thinking about how to adapt them to AI," said Princeton University computer science professor Arvind Narayanan.?That includes efforts like fact-checking, and asking yourself whether what you're seeing can be corroborated,?Just be skeptical, fact-check anything that could have a large impact on your life"??AI-generated deepfakes are moving faster than policy can : NPR ?

?What should we do?!?

We should work on raising critical thinking, critical consciousness and critical awareness in societies, this is very important and essential to screen and filter what we receive,?analyze?it instead of acting as passive receptors.?

?"Paulo Freire defines critical consciousness as the ability to intervene in reality in order to change it.Critical consciousness proceeds through the identification of "generative themes", which Freire identifies as "iconic representations that have a powerful emotional impact in the daily lives of learners." In this way, individual consciousness helps end the "culture of silence " in which the socially dispossessed internalize the negative images of themselves created and propagated by the oppressor in situations of?extreme poverty . Liberating learners from this?mimicry ?of the powerful, and from the fratricidal violence that results therefrom is a major goal of critical consciousness. Critical consciousness is a fundamental aspect of Freire's concept of?popular education .?

Arlene Goldbard , an author on the subject of community cultural development finds the concept of conscientization to be a foundation of community cultural development. From the glossary of Goldbard's 2006 book?New Creative Community : "Conscientization is an ongoing process by which a learner moves toward critical consciousness. This process is the heart of liberatory education. It differs from "consciousness raising" in that the latter may involve transmission of preselected knowledge. Conscientization means engaging in?praxis , in which one both reflects and takes action on their social reality to break through prevailing mythologies and reach new levels of awareness—in particular, awareness of?oppression , being an "object" of others’ will rather than a self-determining "subject". The process of conscientization involves identifying contradictions in experience through dialogue and becoming part of the process of changing the world."??Critical consciousness - Wikipedia ?

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Meditation can help into reaching a deep calm state to connect with our conscious and sub-conscious?minds.?"?There are a variety of meditation methods that suit most people. However, there is no “right way” to meditate, meaning someone can explore the different types until they find one that works for them. You can refer to the eight types of meditation in this article?Eight types of meditation: What type is best for you? (medicalnewstoday.com)? ?

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At the end, the objective is not to follow the tools?themselves however to evolve as a species to better live?together?and collaborate for better future.?

?Other useful sites:

1. Be Authentic: 19 Ways To Do It - The Berkeley Well-Being Institute (berkeleywellbeing.com)
2. Develop Authenticity: 20 Ways to Be a More Authentic Person | Psychology Today