Beyond the Aesthetic: What Authenticity Really Is

You've heard it everywhere on the internet, from wellness gurus to leadership training

offerings. Heck, here at Gnosis, we're guilty as charged when it comes to throwing the word around. Everyone is telling you that you need to be authentic, maybe claiming they've got the secret sauce to getting you there, but what does it even mean to be authentic?

If you don't have a full grasp on authenticity, or are worried you're not being authentic, because you see authenticity being touted everywhere, it's probably not your fault. Authenticity has several definitions, ranging from something that is legitimately produced to honesty, and even something that has the seal of approval from an authority. With so many definitions, it can be challenging to know where to start.

How Media Shapes What We Call "Authentic."

In his paper in Discourse Studies, van Leeuwen discusses how the media have influenced what we perceive as authentic, and notes that some of this is based solely on others' perceptions (van Leeuwen, 2001). For instance, some people believe that being authentic means being spontaneous rather than rehearsed, and they are likely to be more honest when they speak spontaneously. He goes on to share an experiment in which children were asked questions about television shows. When interviewed, the children's spontaneous responses were delivered in a way that seemed palatable to the interviewer and society as a whole. However, in a different version of the experiment, the children shared very different views of the television shows. Rather than revealing an objective "true" self, van Leeuwen (2001) argues that deciding which version is more authentic often tells us more about the beliefs and expectations of the person making the judgment than about the children themselves.

This is an example of how authenticity can be a derivative of society's expectations, or at least of how we believe we must perform in line with them rather than our own authentic way of moving through the world. Society's influence may shape how authenticity has become an advertisement for achieving a more fulfilling life through purchasing authenticity rather than embodying it. Due to advertising and other influences, you may have thoughts like, "Oh, I'll be more authentic if I do 'x'." That could look like dressing a certain way, using a specific language, etc., to fit in.

What we want, as a society and as individuals, is to ensure we have the "real deal." This might be influenced by the increasing technological influence in our lives, deepfakes, and a sense that we've lost connection to something meaningful and existential. It's no wonder there is a move back to the botanical, to nature, and the coopting of indigenous ways of being. We as a species desire to be in contact with what's 'real'. Looking at authenticity as an indicator of social status does not mean that authenticity is not an essential aspect of well-being; it's an argument that understanding what authenticity is is crucial to finding it. The truth is, being authentic might be much closer than you think.

Step One: Understanding The Self

Rather than seeing authenticity as a symbol of status, the idea of authenticity might be

better couched in the 'self.' Unfortunately, that word almost feels as abstract as the idea of being authentic, so we should probably define that word first. Philosophy, social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and a host of other psychology disciplines all have ways of describing the self. In 2024, a journal article by Hards et al. sought to develop a congruent definition of self; however, they concluded that the construct was too dynamic to be confined to a single definition. But they do use a phrase in their paper that is helpful to our understanding: “The self is at the centre of all our lived experiences …” Goffman (1963) defines the self as “felt identity (Goffman, 1963).” If we consider the self as a lived experience and draw on a wide range of psychological disciplines, we might describe the self as who I am in relation to my lived experiences and others (Hards et al., 2024). The self is the gravitational center of mass, mutable, but also an anchor that an individual can use to prevent going adrift. Now that we have an understanding of the self, we can begin to apply the concept of authenticity.

The self is the gravitational center of mass, mutable, but also an anchor that an individual can use to prevent going adrift.

Authenticity as Self-Derived Values

Authenticity is usefully described by Erickson (1995) as "one's sense of relative authenticity, being the extent to which one fulfills the expectations or commitments one has for oneself." She states this makes sense because we don't usually question our authenticity, except when we find it necessary to determine whether our behavior, choices, and actions align with our self-values. These are values and ideals we hold for ourselves, not judgments or expectations we place on others. Having self-derived values gives us a sense of continuity and helps us make decisions that are not directly influenced by our immediate environment. Erickson (1995) also states that some of our self-derived values are more important than others, and this can lead us to be influenced by the outside world, such as media from sources like Instagram, Twitter, and the news. When we're moved or influenced too much by the outside world in relation to our self-values, we might feel inauthentic (Erickson,1995)

When Authenticity Really Does Get Hard

Now that we've begun to understand what authenticity is, it becomes increasingly more important to know how we define our self-derived values. First, we need to find our sense of self, then define our values. Many people can derive and act on these values intrinsically and intuitively. Others, who have faced trauma, were forced to hide their identity or nature, experienced challenging work environments, grief, chronic stress, or illness, may have a more difficult time defining their values. For these people, understanding who they are in relation to their lived experiences can be the first step in developing their sense of self and, subsequently, their self-derived values.

If you're in the camp that's faced adversity, and are struggling to define yourself in relation to your lived experiences, working with a coach or counselor can be a great way to understand your values and how to act on them. If you know what your values are, struggle to act on them, and thus feel inauthentic, it may be beneficial to work with someone to understand how to initiate micro-actions that lead to sustainable change.

What Authenticity is Not

So if authenticity is an allegiance toward our self-derived goals, and being authentic means taking action and upholding behaviors that are congruent with those values, what is not authenticity?

Well, it is not always spontaneous or unpracticed. It is not fitting society's identity du jour

or using specific jargon or a particular way of speaking. It's not defining yourself by others' expectations. It's not a wellness trend; it's been around for as long as humans have been able to form internal value systems. It's not being perennially happy or necessarily traveling the world. It's not loving meditation- though we advocate for meditation as a tool. It's undoubtedly not a checklist or a series of classes.

It's definitely not mainstream or popular, and it's not cutting-edge, new, fringe, or necessarily spiritual. In fact, we'd argue, a soccer mom with "unfashionably" skinny jeans, and unkempt hair, as a messy house, with a minivan and three kids in tow, who never meditates, and goes to Dunkin Donuts, might be more authentic than a wellness influencer.... if her actions align with her self-derived values, whereas the latter's do not.

In a world that feels increasingly homogenized by social media, it is important to remember that authenticity is not about looking, being, or acting any one way, and no one can give it to you. It can't be bought. It must be found inside you, and you're the only one who can do it.

Information on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or mental health advice. Viewing this site or contacting us does not, by itself, create a counseling relationship.

References

Erickson, R. J. (1995). The importance of authenticity for self and society. Symbolic Interaction, 18(2), 121–144. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.1995.18.2.121

Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Prentice-Hall.

Hards, E., Rathbone, C. J., Ellis, J. A., & Reynolds, S. (2024). What is the self anyway? Towards a more parsimonious conceptualisation of the self: A review. New Ideas in Psychology, 74, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2024.101080

van Leeuwen, T. (2001). What is authenticity? Discourse Studies, 3(4), 392–397. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24047523