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What Does It Mean to Be "Authentic"?
A phrase that keeps popping up in casual reading and on the occasional chit chat show is being “an authentic person.” As with so many pop psychology terms, this contains legitimate ideas mixed with patently unbiblical principles. It can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Here are some traits of an authentic person according to author Jennifer Twardowski:
#1: They recognize the emptiness in material things. Agreed.
#2: They recognize that experiences make them richer. Agreed.
#3: They truly listen to others. Ditto. So far, so good. But then it begins to get a bit dodgy.
#4: They express their true thoughts, feelings and views unapologetically. Twardowski elaborates: “They don’t say things that they don’t truly mean. They don’t do things that they don’t really want to do. They are able to share their own unique thoughts, feelings and views without fear of other’s opinions.” Hmm. This begins to sound a little like selfishness. Consider some of the others:
#5: They’re not out to please people.
#7: They love themselves.
#11: They’re connected to their own inner guide. Uh-oh. Now it sounds like full-blown, self-enthronement humanist philosophy. The truth is that all meaningful human relations require patience, restraint and self-denial for love and good will to thrive. Being “authentic” is really code terminology for “I’m going to do what I want to do and I don’t care what you think.” Carried to its end, it’s a destructive and lonely place to be.
